This study provides a solid validity inferential network to guide the development, interpretation, and use of machine learning-based next-generation science assessments (NGSAs). Given that machine learning (ML) has been broadly implemented in the automatic scoring of constructed responses, essays, simulations, educational games, and…

In the past decade, several states have introduced comprehensive sexuality education standards for public schools, but the impact is unknown because mechanisms to monitor adherence and improve quality have been lacking. In this study, we pilot-tested an approach for high school students to assess sexuality education standards mandated by the…

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators and policymakers have scrambled to assess the impact on student learning. Popular metrics that have gained traction are the notions of "years of learning lost" or "months behind," which attempt to quantify the educational setbacks caused by the pandemic. The allure of these…

The purpose of this National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Achievement Levels Validity Argument Report is to synthesize evidence currently available to address the validity of the interpretations and uses of the NAEP Achievement Levels. Validity is the extent to which theory and evidence supports or refutes proposed and enacted test…

Teacher certification exams are supposed to assess if a student is likely to succeed in teaching. What if an exam seems to be inappropriate? This article is an inquiry of the New York State Content Specialty Test for Early Childhood Candidates, particularly the math section. It raises the issue of whether we are asking the right questions and…

This paper uses a validity argument approach to examine the validity evidence for measures of instructional alignment based on an instrument adapted from the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC). Using the instrument, Grade 4 math and Grade 5 English language arts teachers reported the level of emphasis they gave to subject-specific topics and…

Although national assessments for evaluating teacher candidates are available, some state education agencies and education preparation programs have developed their own assessments. These locally developed assessments are based on observations of teaching and other artifacts such as lesson plans and student assignments. However, local assessment…

This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a larger study examining the validity and reliability of the Kansas Clinical Assessment Tool (K-CAT), a newly developed tool for assessing the performance of teacher candidates. The study team used interviews with cooperating teachers, content experts' ratings of the alignment of the K-CAT to…

Although national assessments for evaluating teacher candidates are available, some state education agencies and education preparation programs have developed their own assessments. These locally developed assessments are based on observations of teaching and other artifacts such as lesson plans and student assignments. However, local assessment…

The "Examination of the Validity and Reliability of the Kansas Clinical Assessment Tool" study explored the validity and reliability of the Kansas Clinical Assessment Tool (K-CAT), a newly developed tool for assessing the performance of teacher candidates. The study found that cooperating teachers reported that the K-CAT accurately…

The research note focuses on the alignment aspect of English language proficiency (ELP) assessments, one of the required types of validity evidence for the federal peer review process of states' assessment systems. A basic tenant of current U.S. education policy is the alignment between what a test assesses and what content has been determined as…

Over the past several years, content experts, psychometricians, and researchers have been hard at work developing, refining, and studying the digital SAT. The work is grounded in foundational best practices and advances in measurement and assessment design, with fairness for students informing all of the work done. This paper shares learnings from…

This study evaluated the predictive and concurrent validity of the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI). Structural equation modeling was applied to test the associations between the TFI and student outcomes. First, a total of 1,691 schools with TFI Tier 1 in 2016-17 and school-wide discipline outcomes in 2015-16 and 2016-17 were targeted, finding a…

This paper provides the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) community with information that may help maintain the validity and utility of the NAEP assessments for civics and U.S. history as revisions are planned to the NAEP…

Perceived shortage of principals, increased accountability demands, the changing role of principals, and the growing influence of the state over school administration have created a set of challenges for principal certification and licensure that have propelled a renewed need for analysis of certification and licensure processes. Recent calls to…