The traditional concept of validity divides it into three separate types; content, criterion, and construct validities. This view is fragmented and incomplete, failing to take into account evidence of the value implications of score meaning as a basis for action and of the social consequences of score use. The new unified concept of validity…

The concept of "washback," especially prominent in the field of applied linguistics, refers to the extent to which a test influences teachers and learners to do things they would not otherwise necessarily do. Some writers invoke the notion of washback validity, holding that a test's validity should be gauged by the degree to which it has…

The implications for educational and employment testing of recent measurement, social, and policy issues are compared and contrasted. Changes are proposed relative to technical conceptualization of assessment, an increased focus on performance-based evaluation, and expanded expectations and uses of assessment. (SLD)

Data are presented that demonstrate the reliability and construct validity of a 27-item behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) used to rate the performance of 757 nursing assistants in South Carolina. Results support the reliability and construct validity of the BARS and the usefulness of the BARS approach for evaluation. (SLD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate certain aspects of the internal structure of the DISCOVER assessment checklist (C. Maker, A. Nielson, and J. Rogers, 1994) to assess its construct validity. Other purposes included assessing percentages of identified students and gender differences through the use of the assessment. The sample consisted…

Standardized tests often produce results that are inaccurate, inconsistent, and biased against minority, female, and low-income students. Such tests shift control and authority into the hands of the unregulated testing industry and can undermine school achievement by narrowing the curriculum, frustrating teachers, and driving students out of…