Person fit is a statistical index that can be used as a direct measure to assess test accuracy by analyzing the response pattern of examinees and identifying those who misfit the testing model. This misfitting is a source of inaccuracy in estimating an individual's ability, and it decreases the expected criterion-related validity of the test being…

Uses of tests and assessments as key elements in 5 waves of educational reform during the past 50 years are reviewed. These waves include the role of tests in tracking and selection emphasized in the 1950s, the use of tests for program accountability in the 1960s, minimum competency testing programs of the 1970s, school and district accountability…

This book is intended as a practical guide to implementing a standards-based curriculum, developing performance tasks, teaching to those tasks, and using performance assessments. The chapters are: (1) "Establishing the Foundations"; (2) "Understanding the Achievement Cycle"; (3) "Focusing on Authentic Learning"; (4) "Building on a Standards-Based…

The "CSE Program Evaluation Kit" is a series of nine books intended to assist people conducting program evaluations. This volume, the seventh in the kit, provides an overview of a variety of approaches to measuring performance outcomes. It presents considerations in deciding what to measure and in selecting or developing instruments best suited to…

It has been proposed that the federal government's General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) might be used to provide private employers with the same kind of useful information the federal government and college counselors receive about job applicants. The U.S. Department of Labor asked the National Research Council (NRC) to review the issues related…

Two new methods for improving the measurement precision of a general test factor are proposed and evaluated. One new method provides a multidimensional item response theory estimate obtained from conventional administrations of multiple-choice test items that span general and nuisance dimensions. The other method chooses items adaptively to…

Stakeholders and practitioners are concerned about the extent to which standardized achievement tests are meeting the general and specific purposes they were designed to achieve. Several empirical studies have been conducted to this end. This study reviews this research to determine current trends in teachers' and school administrators'…

In 1999, the LegiSchool Project planned to conduct the 12th in its series of televised Town Hall Meetings to provide a forum in which California high school students, educators, and legislators can engage in face-to-face dialogue about problems of mutual interest. For 1999, the topic is standards and tests in California high schools. This guide…

This Addendum was created with the expectation that it would enhance the understanding of the conceptual framework of "Improving Classroom Assessment: A Toolkit for Professional Developers," link its text and activities to other assessment aids, and help trainers design high-quality workshops. The first section of the addendum contains…

This is a compilation of the Executive Summaries from several documents: "Professional Development District Team Survey Results" (July 1997), "CSL Assessment Training Survey Results" (January 1999), "CSL Assessment Professional Development Evaluation Additional Data Analysis of District Surveys" (February 1999);…

This paper considers the size of the marketplace for education testing. The discussion is focused on commercial standardized achievement tests produced for the elementary and secondary market, the "Elhi" market. A few testing companies now account for the bulk of the test sales in the Elhi market, but it is difficult to obtain exact…

The construct validity of the New Standards middle school Science Reference Examination was studied focusing on evidence related to the internal and external structure of the assessment, the reliability of the assessment scores, and the generalizability of the assessment results. Data for 450 students were taken from the field test in spring 1998.…

The bond that links quality assessment and effective teaching is clarified for North Carolina teachers in the context of the state's continued emphasis on effective schooling. This manual begins a statewide effort to promote assessment literacy among educators. It is emphasized that no single type of assessment can meet all of the purposes of…

Classroom assessment is how teachers find out how well students are learning. It is important because teachers need a lot of information for the decisions they have to make. It can take many forms, such as paper and pencil assessments, performance assessments, conversations, or observations. Classroom assessments are built on clear goals and…

Volume 1 of the fall 1997 annual survey tabulates information about each state's assessment program during the 1996-97 school year. This volume contains the survey sent to state assessment directors, which was completed by representatives of all 50 states, and a summary table that lists the types of programs in each state. A list of state…