The consistency between raters over three years of a high-stakes performance assessment was examined in two studies involving a total of approximately 3,000 students in grades three, five, and eight. Results show that raters in different years differ in severity, with raters in mathematics most consistent, and those in language arts least…

Among six guidelines for portfolio assessment are (1) identify the goals of the portfolio; (2) determine type of portfolio to be used; and (3) establish procedures for organizing the portfolio. Insets explain performance-based assessment and use of portfolio assessment to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of…

Describes a classroom activity, listing step-by-step directions, that demonstrates the unreliability of essay scoring. Explains that after the exercise the class discussion should address the problematic factors in scoring essays. Lists recommendations for improving reliability and validity of essay scoring. (CMK)

Psychometric issues pertinent to the application of an item-response-theory-based person-fit (response aberrancy) detection statistic in the personality measurement domain were explored using Monte Carlo methods. Recommendations are made about proper implementation of person-fit statistics in personality measurement. (SLD)

Examines the mechanics of a large-scale writing portfolio assessment at the University of Michigan, including its impact on matriculation and placement; students' reactions to the requirement; and instructors' evaluation of the efficacy of placements under the new system. Examines the scoring process used by readers to assess portfolios, and…

Studied the impact of experience scoring the Maryland School Performance Assessment tasks on teachers' instructional and classroom assessment practice. Interview data, questionnaires, classroom observation, and classroom artifacts from approximately 5 teacher-scorers demonstrated that teachers' appropriation of performance-based instruction may be…

This book contains a series of research articles about computerized adaptive testing (CAT) written for advanced psychometricians. The book is divided into sections on: (1) item selection and examinee scoring in CAT; (2) examples of CAT applications; (3) item banks; (4) determining model fit; and (5) using testlets in CAT. (SLD)

Compared the fit of several Item Response Theory (IRT) models to two personality assessment instruments using data from 13,059 individuals responding to one instrument and 1,770 individuals responding to the other. Two- and three-parameter logistic models fit some scales reasonably well, but not others, and the graded response model generally did…

Explores the consequences of using complex test-and-item analysis in a large-scale testing situation that historically has used simple number-right scoring. When the two types of scoring were used with high school graduation exams in British Columbia, results were similar in terms of mean, standard deviation, error of estimation, and correlation…

Provides techniques for identifying a particular score, or standard, that differentiates student competence from non-competence. Outlines explicit procedures for developing appropriate standards that can assist institutions in resisting legal challenges when the results of testing are contested. (EV)

The purpose of this article is to explore the issue of the English Language Learner as it is presented in teacher education textbooks developed for pre-service teachers. Rather than identify "typical" teacher education texts, the authors elect to review a selection of the most influential and widely used texts. Monument Information Resource (MIR)…

Performance-based assessments allow teachers to systematically observe skills used or demonstrated by students when they create a product, construct a response, or make a presentation (McMillan 2001). These assessments are grounded in performance-based tasks that elicit students' responses in relation to the outcomes of instruction. The criteria…

The scarce attention to the assessment and evaluation in science education research has been especially harmful for teaching science-technology-society (STS) issues, due to the dialectical, tentative, value-laden, and polemic nature of most STS topics. This paper tackles the methodological difficulties of the instruments that monitor views related…

This article addresses misconceptions related to what makes an unfair game fair and describes from a personal perspective the process of discovering for oneself when a particular mathematical method works. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)

Accountability pressures influence all levels of psychology instruction. In this article we explore how to meet those pressures with integrity, focusing on authentic assessment and teaching as a primary solution. We propose a rubric to describe the progress of students' acquisition of scientific inquiry skills applied to behavior and provide an…