To validate an interpretation or use of test scores is to evaluate the plausibility of the claims based on the scores. An argument-based approach to validation suggests that the claims based on the test scores be outlined as an argument that specifies the inferences and supporting assumptions needed to get from test responses to score-based…

This study utilizes an argument-based approach to validation to examine the implications of reliability in order to further differentiate the concepts of score and decision consistency. In a methodological example, the framework of generalizability theory was used to estimate appropriate indices of score consistency and evaluations of the…

Instruments that are used for diagnosing of, or screening for, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may not be applicable to people with sensory disabilities in addition to intellectual disabilities. First, because they do not account for equifinality, the possibility that different conditions may lead to the same outcome. Second, because they do not…

In recent years, the social sciences have seen a resurgence in the study of divergent thinking (DT) measures. However, many of these recent advances have focused on abstract, decontextualized DT tasks (e.g., list as many things as you can think of that have wheels). This study provides a new perspective by exploring the reliability and validity…

The study aimed at investigating Jordanian EFL teachers' self-reported frequencies of using the procedures of preparing, correcting, analyzing, interpreting an achievement test, and discussing its results with students. To achieve this, a 31-item questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was administered to 118 basic stage EFL teachers after…

"Assessing Learning in the Primary Classroom" is an accessible introduction to the concepts critical to a professional understanding of this vital aspect of a teacher's role. It comprehensively considers the principles underpinning effective assessment, the different forms it can take and the different purposes it serves, both within and beyond…

This study tested five confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) models of the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to provide validity evidence based on its internal structure. A sample of 223 club sport athletes indicated their emotions during the past week. Results revealed that an orthogonal two-factor CFA model, specifying error…

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, 2002) requires teacher education units to develop assessment systems and evaluate both the success of candidates and unit operations. Because of a stated, but misguided, fear of statistics, NCATE fails to use accepted terminology to assure the quality of institutional evaluative…

As with any test administered across linguistically and culturally diverse groups, evidence suggesting the equivalence of score meaning across countries is needed for valid comparisons. The current study examines the cross-cultural equivalence of score interpretations from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)-1999 from…

Validity is a critically important issue with far-reaching implications for testing. The history of conceptualizations of validity over the past 50 years is reviewed, and 3 important areas of controversy are examined. First, the question of whether the three traditionally recognized types of validity should be integrated as a unitary entity of…

The program evaluation standards approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1994 that deal with reliability and validity accurately represent contemporary views of the psychometric community with regard to reliability and validity. As such, these standards move the field forward. The ANSI standards recognize that reliability…

Test validity refers to the degree to which the inferences based on test scores are meaningful, useful, and appropriate. Thus, test validity is a characteristic of a test when it is administered to a particular population. This article introduces the modern concepts of validity advanced by S. Messick (1989, 1996, 1996). Traditionally, the means of…

Discusses general issues and concerns relative to the adaptation of paper-pencil assessment instruments to computerized formats. Describes and evaluates Self-Directed Search computerized version (SDS-CV). Presents strengths and weaknesses of the SDS-CV and makes recommendations for its use. (Author/ABL)