Research shows that the intensity of high school course-taking is related to postsecondary outcomes. However, there are various approaches to measuring the intensity of students' course-taking. This study presents new measures of coursework intensity that rely on differing levels of quantity and quality of coursework. We used these new indices to…

Grade inflation threatens the integrity of college grades as indicators of academic achievement. In this study, we contribute to the literature on grade inflation by providing the first estimate of the size of grade increases at the student level between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s. By controlling for student characteristics and course-taking…

Early prediction of academic performance is important for student support. The authors explored, in a multivariate approach, whether pre-entry data (e.g., high school study results, preparative activities, expectations, capabilities, motivation, and attitude) could predict university students' first-year academic performance. Preregistered…

This article presents a model of assessment development integrating student characteristics with the conceptualization, design, and implementation of standardized achievement tests. The model extends the assessment triangle proposed by the National Research Council (Pellegrino, Chudowsky, & Glaser, 2001) to consider the needs of students with…

Addresses issues in evaluating the consequences of assessment programs that are developed to hold schools accountable to state standards. Proposes a validation study to obtain consequential evidence for state assessment and accountability programs that includes a validity argument, propositions that follow from the validity argument, a definition…