Fidelity is defined as doing what is intended. The purpose of measuring fidelity is to assist with supporting implementation. Collecting fidelity data provides an opportunity to problem-solve throughout the process versus waiting for outcome data. More often than not, purchased programs and curriculum materials are missing a research-validated…

This article builds upon a proiminent definition of construct validity that focuses on variation in attributes causing variation in measurement outcomes. This article synthesizes the defintion and uses Rasch measurement modeling to explicate a modified conceptualization of construct validity for assessments of developmental attributes. If…

In this study, we estimated the relationship between two popular measures of teacher effectiveness--teachers' value-added model (VAM) estimates, represented in this study via median growth percentiles (MGPs), and teachers' observational scores, derived from the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement. We examined the relationship between…

Evidence-based assessment (EBA) requires that investigators employ scientific theories and research findings to guide decisions about what domains to measure, how and when to measure them, and how to make decisions and interpret results. To implement EBA, investigators need high-quality assessment tools along with evidence-based processes. We…

Social-emotional competencies (SEC) represent an increasingly investigated topic in the educational context, and multiple tools have been developed to measure them. Consequently, an inventory of these tools becomes necessary for research in different educational contexts. This paper aimed to identify and analyse the existing self-reported…

In this second volume of the successful "Exemplars of Assessment in Higher Education," editors Souza and Rose share examples of assessment practice from over fifteen distinct and diverse higher education institutions, including international contributions. Building upon the work of the first volume, the case studies in this book reflect…

Nations, states, and districts must choose among an array of different approaches to measuring school effectiveness in implementing their accountability policies, and the choice can be difficult because different approaches yield different results. This study compares two approaches to computing school effectiveness: a "beating the odds"…

As part of efforts to improve the quality of mathematics' teaching and evaluation, we examined the focus of math teachers' considerations in evaluating students' achievements, as well as the links between these focuses, regarding differences between students and the validity and reliability of assessment methods and examinations. Based on the…

SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat) Analysis, even though it enables analyzing the internal and external environment that is effective in the process of organizations and institutions to make strategic decision, is a method that has some deficiencies in terms of measurement and assessment. In order to eliminate the deficiencies of…

The availability of effective research-based interventions and practices within schools is a growing concern within the field of education. There remains a lack of interventions that have been fully evaluated for use within schools and by school personnel, particularly in the area of social skills interventions. Understanding the need for social…

With the new school year now well under way, staff, students and families are still in desperate need of a clear strategic direction and set of tools for promoting equity and excellence in a moment of crisis. Nationally, we see school systems stepping up in new ways to provide this clarity, and seizing the moment afforded by these unusual…

Rhode Island is committed to ensuring that all educators receive fair, accurate, and meaningful educator evaluations that provide information that can help all teachers improve and refine their practice. Currently, districts in Rhode Island may submit a district-designed model for approval that complies with the Educator Evaluation System…

In this article the authors argue that distinguishing between rationality and intelligence helps explain how people can be, at the same time, intelligent and irrational (Stanovich, 2009). As such, researchers need to study separately the individual differences in cognitive skills that underlie intelligence and the individual differences in…

NCLB waiver requirements have led to development of teacher evaluation systems, in which student growth is a significant component. Recent empirical research has been focusing on metrics of student growth--value-added scores in particular--and their relationship to other metrics. An extensive set of recent teacher-evaluation studies conducted by…

Central to the mission of most educational institutions is the task of preparing the next generation of citizens to contribute to society. Schools, colleges, and universities value a range of outcomes--e.g., problem solving, creativity, collaboration, citizenship, service to community--as well as academic outcomes in traditional subjects. Often…