Choosing whether to test via computer is the most difficult and consequential decision the designers of a testing program can make. The decision is difficult because of the wide range of choices available. Designers can choose where and how often the test is made available, how the test items look and function, how those items are combined into…

This issue of ETS Policy Notes (Vol 21, No. 2) highlights the discussion from "Taking Action: Navigating the Common Core State Standards and Assessments," a conference co-convened by ETS and the National Urban League (NUL) in February 2013. Part of the Saturdays at ETS series, the conference brought together researchers, funders,…

This booklet grew out of a half-day class on equating that author Samuel Livingston teaches for new statistical staff at Educational Testing Service (ETS). The class is a nonmathematical introduction to the topic, emphasizing conceptual understanding and practical applications. The class consists of illustrated lectures, interspersed with…

Extreme linkings are performed in settings in which neither equivalent groups nor anchor material is available to link scores on two assessments. Examples of extreme linkages include links between scores on tests administered in different languages or between scores on tests administered across disability groups. The strength of interpretation…

In this paper, the "standard error of equating difference" (SEED) is described in terms of originally proposed kernel equating functions (von Davier, Holland, & Thayer, 2004) and extended to incorporate traditional linear and equipercentile functions. These derivations expand on prior developments of SEEDs and standard errors of equating and…

Should individuals use a test for purposes other than those for which it was originally intended? Should they give it to groups of people other than those for whom it was originally designed? This issue of "Educational Testing Service (ETS) R&D Connections" provides ideas for repurposing tests. (Contains 1 footnote.)

As some colleges and universities experience low rates of student success, many point to the large number of students who are placed into and fail to complete developmental education courses. Research examining the efficacy of course placement tests has suggested that success rates would increase if students were placed more accurately. A recent…

District-level policymakers are challenged to use evidence of student achievement to make policy decisions, such as professional development and other school improvement plans. They currently receive reports of student achievement data that are complex, difficult to read, and even harder to interpret. Using the research literature on policymakers'…

The 12th annual William H. Angoff Memorial Lecture was presented by Dr. Michael T. Kane, ETS's (Educational Testing Service) Samuel J. Messick Chair in Test Validity and the former Director of Research at the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Dr. Kane argues that it is important for policymakers to recognize the impact of errors of measurement…

Political perspectives on the advisability of state achievement comparisons have changed substantially over the last half-century. As Selden (2004) noted regarding the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), "[w]hen it began in the 1960s, NAEP specifically was designed "not" to provide comparisons among states. This was…

To many people, standardized testing means multiple-choice testing. However, some tests contain questions that require the test taker to produce the answer, rather than simply choosing it from a list. The required response can be as simple as the writing of a single word as complex as the design of a laboratory experiment to test a scientific…

With the addition of a writing component to many high-stakes tests (e.g., college admission tests and high school exit exams), a review of writing accommodations for students with disabilities becomes critical. This paper reviews the accommodation policies of 20 states with high school exit exams of writing and three testing organizations that…

This paper examines item response theory (IRT) scale transformations and IRT scale linking methods used in the Non-Equivalent Groups with Anchor Test (NEAT) design to equate two tests, X and Y. It proposes a unifying approach to the commonly used IRT linking methods: mean-mean, mean-var linking, concurrent calibration, Stocking and Lord and…

This monograph provides a comprehensive description and analysis of the literacy proficiencies of the adult immigrant population (16-65 years old) in the U.S. in recent years and assesses their implications for the labor force behavior, employment, earnings, incomes, and civic behavior of the immigrant population. The first section will present…