A method to investigate consequential evidence of validity for a state assessment developed to change teacher instructional practices is presented. Survey responses from over 1,000 Kansas teachers were used to construct a path model that allowed effects of the state assessment to be studied at building and teacher levels. (SLD)

Gender differences in answers to constructed-response reading items from a state assessment program were studied with four raters rating approximately 500 papers at two grade levels. Results indicate that number of words written and number of unrelated responses show significant gender differences and are related to holistic scores. (SLD)

Four threats to validity of an alternative objective test item format, the multiple-mark format, were studied with data from a state-mandated assessment with about 30,000 students at each of three grade levels. Reliability and validity coefficients show that the format has promise as an objective format that can be aligned with new curriculum…

Studied gender differences in answers to constructed-response mathematics items on approximately 500 papers from grades 7 and 10 from the Kansas Assessment Program. Rubric-relevant variables were highly predictive of holistic scores and accounted for some of the gender differences, especially in grade 7. (SLD)