Large-scale academic assessments have played a dominant role in U.S. federal and state education policies over the past couple of decades. Among the many validity issues that presently concern test users is the evaluation of alignment among large-scale assessments and the academic content and performance standards on which they are based. This…

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the measures that make up each of the three separate accountability indices of school performance in South Carolina could be used to create an overall, reliable index of school performance. Data from public elementary, middle, and high schools in 2012/13 were used in confirmatory factor…

School grades provide an easily understandable metric to measure the performance of a school. Parents and the general public can use the informational baseline school grade and its associated components to understand how well each school is serving its students. The school grades calculation was revised substantially for the 2014-15 school year to…

Between 2009 and 2014, thirty-seven states in the United States have adopted or significantly amended their teacher evaluation laws, mostly shifting toward using measurements of student growth on achievement tests. Yet, the processes to evaluate core subjects have not always transitioned smoothly to nontested or artistic content, causing some…

Nationally, there are dozens of established indicators of school performance and thousands of possible combinations of those indicators to create an accountability framework. How do policy makers decide which variables are most important? This relates to measurement modeling -- that is, how to incorporate all pieces of the puzzle into a…

The "Context of Discourse" is a major component of a proposed model of the outcomes of literacy. The Context of Discourse is defined by three major components (situation, vantage points, and content and language) and the 10 related outcomes of literacy (including purpose, audience, point of view, disciplinary perspective, and conceptual…

Examines the social framework and influence of public assessment within school systems and identifies three directions for assessment reform: (1) increasing authenticity and realism of assessment tasks; (2) increasing interpretive quality of assessment and information; and (3) increasing integration of teaching, learning, and assessment processes.…

This essay argues for the use of examples that set a clear standard for student performance and calibration of local standards to exemplars. Four types of performance criteria are proposed: impact, process, form, and content. Examples of assessment initiatives grounded in models of excellent performance are summarized. (Author/DB)

The purpose of this article is to share classroom action research studying the perception of students to a differentiated, alternative assessment model in a secondary science classroom. Results of the study indicated the majority of the students preferred the differentiated, alternative assessment model to solely traditional assessment. The…

This report addresses challenges associated with the reporting of test scores of students with disabilities participating in alternate assessments. It summarizes six models currently under construction or already being used by states. Using proficiency levels as a common reporting approach, the six models are: (1) same proficiency levels for…

Argues that, in implementing non-traditional assessment methods, educators should first determine the significant learning outcomes of courses and whether the methods are right for those outcomes. Presents a three-step process for designing and implementing the right set of assessments and describes two examples illustrating the use of the…

This book explains some basic assumptions that underlie different assessment systems, some connections between education and assessment, and some assessment options that have gone unrecognized. The discussion serves as a guide to designing a custom assessment program individualized to fit the students, school, and community. Part 2 contains…

Recommendations for educational change are not focused just on curriculum. Recently a great deal of attention has been focused on reforming the evaluation and assessment of students' mathematical knowledge. Since standardized tests determine what topics will be taught in schools, it seems sensible to refine assessment prior to instituting major…

In September 2002, the Maine Department of Education began organizing an Exhibition Assessment Advisory Committee whose purpose it was to consider meaningful ways to include exhibition assessments in comprehensive local assessment systems. School administrators were invited to participate and/or nominate practitioners in their districts to become…

Teachers from Kent School District (Washington) participated in intensive teacher training on an alternative model of writing assessment. Based on six traits of good writing, the model provides a common framework for writing goals and assessments by teachers and students themselves, and has generated enthusiasm among teachers, students, and…