The validity of the Kappa coefficient of chance-corrected agreement has been questioned when the prevalence of specific rating scale categories is low and agreement between raters is high. The researchers proposed the Lambda Coefficient of Rater-Mediated Agreement as an alternative to Kappa to address these concerns. Lambda corrects for chance…

This report contains information on the background of and research on the North Carolina Kindergarten Entry Assessments (NC KEA). Evidence shows that implementing formative assessment is difficult for teachers and schools. Given that North Carolina will be adopting a new KEA measure for the fall of 2020, this report summarizes previous research on…

The validity of the Kappa coefficient of chance-corrected agreement has been questioned when the prevalence of specific rating scale categories is low and agreement between raters is high. The researchers proposed the Lambda Coefficient of Rater-Mediated Agreement as an alternative to Kappa to address these concerns. Lambda corrects for chance…

This study gathered information from practitioners on their perspectives of experiences implementing the North Carolina Kindergarten Entry Assessment (NC KEA). Initially, practitioners were invited to complete an online survey asking them to rate or provide information about several aspects related to implementing the assessment process. In total,…

The North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process (NC TEP) serves over 100,000 teachers per year throughout the state (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). This process includes formative observations, summative assessments, and formal mentoring to ensure high quality educators. In an attempt to ensure a high-quality evaluation process, hubs at both…

The 2016-2017 academic year marks the second year of statewide implementation of the North Carolina K-3 Formative Assessment Process: Kindergarten Entry Assessment (FAPKEA). The assessment, developed and implemented by the Office of Early Learning (OEL) at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, is a comprehensive formative assessment…

This report contains reliability and validity evidence for the North Carolina Kindergarten Entry Assessment system (KEA) using a statewide sample of kindergarten children. The KEA was designed as a formative, developmental, authentic, and criterion referenced classroom resource for teachers. As a formative assessment, the KEA focuses on the…

The North Carolina K-3 Formative Assessment Process: Kindergarten Entry Assessment (NC K-3 FAP: KEA) is the initial step in the development of a comprehensive formative assessment process for young children from kindergarten entry through the end of third grade. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gather teacher and administrator feedback…

The components included in this conceptual framework describe the types of supports and resources provided by the Early Educator Support, Licensure, and Professional Development Office (EESLPD) to guide North Carolina (NC) Birth through Kindergarten (B-K) Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) who work in public and nonpublic school settings and have…

Research Findings: This study builds on prior work related to the assessment of young dual language learners (DLLs). The purposes of the study were to (a) determine whether latent subgroups of preschool DLLs would replicate those found previously and (b) examine the validity of GOLD® by Teaching Strategies with empirically derived subgroups.…

In an effort to lessen the implementation burden of a new formative assessment, a state allowed each of its school districts to develop their own professional development and implementation plans based on their unique capacities. This study qualitatively analyzed data from six school case studies and an electronic survey issued to all state…

This report outlines the results of an evaluation of the Freedom School Partners' Children Defense Fund Freedom Schools© program in Charlotte, North Carolina, that took place during the summer of 2019. The evaluation was a collaboration between the Center for Adolescent Literacies (CAL) and the Center for Educational Measurement and Evaluation…

This study examined primary grades students' achievement on number sense tasks administered through an Internet-based formative assessment tool, Assessing Math Concepts Anywhere. Data were analyzed from 2,357 students in teachers' classrooms who had participated in a year-long professional development program on mathematics formative assessment,…

This study illustrates why preschool children who are dual language learners (DLLs) are not a homogeneous group. An empirically developed model of preschool DLL subgroups, based on latent class analysis, was presented. The model reflects three separate subgroups of DLL children present in many classrooms where DLL children are served: Bilinguals,…

Associations between scale scores obtained from a teacher observation-based authentic assessment measure, the "Teaching Strategies GOLD®", and (a) teacher ratings of children's social functioning and learning behaviors, and (b) child performance on external, individually administered direct assessments of academic skills are presented.…