Assessment/Validity
da Robyn Murphy
1. Assessments should reflect what was taught and learned
1.1. "the extent to which an evaluative device measures what it is supposed to measure" (Moore, 2015, p. 266)
1.2. Assessments are valid if they ask questions that align with what was actually taught by the teacher. The instructor's lessons should align with the learning standards or objectives. The assessment should then align with what was taught by the teacher and practiced by the students.
2. Time & Experience
2.1. Checking assessments for validity can be time consuming and requires knowledge and experience. At the least, teachers should "make sure their test items match their stated learning objectives" (Moore, 2015, p. 267)
2.2. Whether teachers choose to use pre-made assessments or create their own, it is in the student's best interest to take the time to look over the assessment and ensure the questions align to the learning standards. Teachers may want to start with choosing their valid assessment. Then, they can plan their lessons and assign activities that align with the assessment.
3. Valid Assessment Data
3.1. "can be used to inform education decisions at multiple levels" (The Center, 2018, p. 2).
3.1.1. school improvement
3.1.2. effectiveness
3.1.3. teacher evaluation
3.1.4. student performance
3.2. Assessment data is valuable to many parties in education. Students can receive feedback from assessments and make adjustments regarding their effort and performance. Teachers are able to see if they need to make adjustments to their instruction practice. Schools may make decisions about teacher effectiveness by evaluating them through student's assessment scores. Leaders in schools may also evaluate assessments to see if they are truly effective and aligning with learning standards.
4. References
4.1. Illuminate Education. (2020, June 8). What is Assessment Reliability & Validity? YouTube. What is Assessment Reliability & Validity?
4.2. Mertler, C. (2017). Classroom Assessment: A Practical Guide for Educators. Routledge.
4.3. Moore, K. D. (2015). Effective Instructional Strategies: From Theory to Practice (4th ed.). SAGE.
4.4. The Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation. (2018, March). Valid and Reliable Assessments. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED588476.pdf.
4.5. The Graide Network. (2018). Importance of Validity and Reliability in Classroom Assessments. Retrieved from https://www.thegraidenetwork.com/blog-all/2018/8/1/the-two-keys-to-quality-testing-reliability-and-validity.
5. Test Items
5.1. multiple people should check to ensure test questions align to certain standards (Illuminate, 2020)
5.2. there should be correlations between performance on valid assessments such as standardized state tests and benchmark tests (Illuminate, 2020)
5.3. Good ethical practices would ensure students are not given tests for no reason or that do not align with the learning goals and standards. Checking test items for validity helps ensure students are taking assessments that align with their learning objectives and the content they are being taught in class.
6. Content evidence
6.1. "established by determining whether the instrument's items correspond to the content that was taught in the course" (Moore, 2015, p. 267)
6.1.1. relevance: "the degree to which the test items or other assessment tasks emphasize what has been taught" (Mertler, 2017, p. 52)
6.1.2. representativeness: "how well the assessment items or tasks represent the total content area" (Mertler, 2017, p. 53)
6.2. the main/most important form of evidence of assessment validity
6.3. Teachers should not create or give an assessment that has nothing to do with the learning objectives or the content that was taught in class. If there is not a pre-made assessment that aligns with the learning standards and lesson content, teachers can create an assessment that will.
7. Criterion evidence
7.1. -
7.2. "a measure of the extent to which the scores resulting from an assessment are related to the scores on another, well-established assessment" (Mertler, 2017, p. 54)
7.2.1. predictive: "the criterion is measured sometime in the future" (Mertler, 2017, p. 54)
7.2.1.1. ex: aptitude tests
7.2.1.2. ex: SAT's
7.2.2. concurrent: "the criterion is measures at the same time or consists of some measure that is available at the same time" (Mertler, 2017, p. 55)
7.2.2.1. if the student takes two different tests covering the same content/standards, at around the same time, will the scores be similar?
7.3. If a student is failing every weekly formative assessment but then suddenly excels on a summative assessment, is that considered valid? There should be consistency among the student's performance on different well-established assessments.
8. Face evidence
8.1. "an informal measure of the extent to which the users or takers of tests believe that the tests are valid" (Mertler, 2017, p. 56)
8.2. Students should recognize content on the assessments given by their teachers. If the content is unrelated to what was covered in class, they are not going to be confident in themselves or believe the test is valid. If students are familiar with the content and have had adequate practice aligned with the standards they will be assessed on, they will be more likely to remain calm when testing and perform better.
9. Construct evidence
9.1. "the degree to which there is a fit between the hypothetical construct being measured and the nature of the responses actually engaged in by the students" (Mertler, 2017, p. 55)
9.1.1. ex: standardized tests