This book addresses a problem that affects the work of all educators: how traditional methods of assessment undermine the capacity of schools to serve students with diverse cultural and social backgrounds and identities. Anchored in a commonsense notion of validity, this book explains how current K-12 assessment practices are grounded in the…

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) strives to provide every student with a positive and productive assessment experience, generating results that are a fair and accurate estimate of each student's achievement. Further, Smarter Balanced is building on a framework of accessibility for all students, including English…

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) strives to provide every student with a positive and productive assessment experience, generating results that are a fair and accurate estimate of each student's achievement. Further, Smarter Balanced is building on a framework of accessibility for all students, including English…

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) strives to provide every student with a positive and productive assessment experience, generating results that are a fair and accurate estimate of each student's achievement. Further, Smarter Balanced is building on a framework of accessibility for all students, including English…

Public policy making relies on accurate information, but standardized and other mandated tests may not accurately evaluate the abilities and knowledge of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many individuals find tests difficult, but individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may find them especially so. Reports from the 2008 Test Equity…

States and districts across the country are grappling with how to incorporate assessments of student learning into their teacher evaluation systems. Sophisticated statistical models have been proposed to estimate the relative value individual teachers add to their students' assessment performance (hence the term teacher "value-added" measures).…

States and districts across the country are grappling with how to incorporate assessments of student learning into their teacher evaluation systems. Sophisticated statistical models have been proposed to estimate the relative value individual teachers add to their students' assessment performance (hence the term teacher "value-added" measures).…

This manual contains information about the American College Test (ACT) Plan® program. The principal focus of this manual is to document the Plan program's technical adequacy in light of its intended purposes. This manual supersedes the 2011 edition. The content of this manual responds to requirements of the testing industry as established in the…

The authors center their presentation of material around a conceptual understanding of psychometric issues, such as validity and reliability, and on purpose rather than procedure, the "why" rather than the "how to." Their goal is to introduce psychometric principles at a level that is deeper and more focused than found in introductory…

Sources of test bias are discussed and steps to prevent or reduce bias in tests are listed. Test bias can occur because of the way test materials are written, the conditions of administration, and the interpretations given the results. Steps to prevent or reduce bias arising in the test development process include: (1) using heterogeneous sets of…

This article describes the author's courtroom experience as a witness for the defense in the Larry P. v. Wilson Riles case; provides excerpts of the testimony and cross-examination; and makes suggestions for individuals who may testify as expert witnesses. (Author/BW)

Court cases are presented that illustrate some of the issues that courts have dealt with in the area of educational testing. While this study was developed primarily for parents, the booklet should also help school administrators and testing professionals learn about court cases and precedents relevant to some major issues in educational testing.…

The paper reviews a series of models designed to reduce bias in the assessment process and describes the intent of each model and their interactive effect in the process of nonbiased educational evaluation. (Author/CL)

Six statistical methods for identifying possible sources of bias in standardized test items are presented. The relationship between chi-squared methods and item-response theory methods are also discussed. (Author/BW)

The paper states the need for providing services to handicapped youthful offenders. Obstacles to compliance with P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, for this population are noted, including lack of staff and funding. Research is cited to show the extent of the problem and project the effects of inadequate programing. The…