This paper reviews the role of ICT-based assessment in the light of the growing use of virtual learning environments in universities. Issues of validity, efficiency, type of response, and scoring are addressed. A major area of research is the automated scoring of text. Claims for automated formative assessment are queried, since the feedback of…

To improve literacy achievement, the authors developed consensus scoring and peer planning as a process of professional development and school improvement. This process allows teachers to (1) gain an increased understanding of the content and performance standards that guide their instruction; (2) work together to assess student work; (3) work…

The evaluation of developmental interventions has been hampered by a lack of practical, reliable, and objective developmental assessment systems. This article describes the construction of a domain-general computerized developmental assessment system for texts: the Lexical Abstraction Assessment System (LAAS). The LAAS provides assessments of the…

Because technology is more prevalent and accessible for use in assessment, this article highlights what counselors and educators need to know when considering the use of computers and the Internet for that purpose. The article concludes with some predictions on how technology might influence assessment and accountability in the future. This…

In some settings, the validity of a battery composite or a test score is enhanced by weighting some parts or items more heavily than others in the total score. This article describes methods of estimating the total score reliability coefficient when differential weights are used with items or parts.

This paper describes an exercise that frames the choices made in creating measures of knowledge as problematic--making clear that the difficulties in interpreting the survey response are not limited to opinion items but apply to questions about factual information as well. Ambiguities in question wording and response options can invite multiple…

As the standards movement progresses, efforts to encourage reflection by student teachers are often undermined. In this piece, we analyze exemplars of student teacher reflection coming from two very different approaches to outcomes-based teacher preparation. We use these exemplars to develop a rubric that illuminates the dimensions and qualities…

This study examines the underlying structure of the Clinical Experience Rubric (CER), which is designed to assess preservice teachers' dispositions during the clinical experiences. Dispositions were conceptualized as being a multidimensional construct with three related factors: (a) professionalism, (b) teaching quality, and (c) relationship with…

This article discusses 5 approaches that secondary researchers might use to obtain robust estimates in structural equation modeling analyses when using data that come from large survey programs. These survey programs usually collect data using complex sampling designs and estimates obtained from conventional analyses that ignore the dependencies…

This article describes the step-by-step process Ross Elementary in Topeka, Kan., used to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. A simple process of using teamwork, setting specific measurable goals, and frequent monitoring of student progress toward these goals allowed Ross to significantly…

When setting standards, administrators of small-scale OSCEs often face several challenges, including a lack of resources, a lack of available expertise in statistics, and difficulty in recruiting judges. The Modified Borderline-Group Method is a standard setting procedure that compensates for these challenges by using physician examiners and is…

Among the many possible aspects to assessing writing, one of the most problematic is coherence. The problems with marking coherence arise because it is by nature subjective. However, the reasonable probability of several readers reaching a consensus concerning the coherence of a text suggests that it may be possible to assign relatively reliable…

The Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities test (ABLA) is a useful tool for choosing appropriate training tasks for persons with developmental disabilities. This test assesses the ease or difficulty with which persons are able to learn six hierarchically positioned discrimination tasks. A visual-visual nonidentity matching prototype task was…

Teacher collaboration is a powerful form of professional learning. One focus for collaborative efforts is designing assessments. When teachers design assessments, give each other feedback through peer reviews, evaluate student work, and plan together for improvement, they are engaged in highly effective professional development. Assessments have…

The purpose of this research was to study an effect of levels of learning ability and types of feedback in an electronic portfolio on learning achievement of students in electronic media production for education subject. The samples were 113 students registered in Electronic Media Production for Education Subject divided into 6 groups : 3 control…