This study explores six item-reduction methodologies used to shorten an existing complex problem-solving non-objective test by evaluating how each shortened form performs across three sources of validity evidence (i.e., test content, internal structure, and relationships with other variables). Two concerns prompted the development of the present…

We used a design-based research model to examine a historical literacy intervention in Grade 6 classrooms. This article describes the results across 2 separate instructional cycles and for students grouped into 4 categories: (a) high-achieving students (n = 23 and n = 24 for Cycle I and Cycle II, respectively), (b) average-achieving students (n =…

This study investigated the complexity of leveled passages used in four classroom reading assessments. A total of 167 passages leveled for Grades 1-6 from these assessments were analyzed using four analytical tools of text complexity. More traditional, two-factor measures of text complexity found a general trend of fairly consistent across-grade…

This study examined the effect of the eight Common Core mathematical practices on math achievement and math attitudes for a sample of low-performing students in Grade 6. The treatment sample (n = 63) consisted of four classes of Grade 6 students who had scored below proficient levels in state math assessments. This study was conducted in a…