State summative educational assessment is about to begin in earnest. Rightfully, many are raising questions about the quality, meaning, and appropriate use of the assessment results. This document was written to support state educational agencies (SEAs) and their assessment providers in devising effective and efficient analysis plans. This…

High stakes test-based accountability systems primarily rely on aggregates and derivatives of scores from tests that were originally developed to measure individual student proficiency in subject areas such as math, reading/language arts, and now English language proficiency. Current validity models do not explicitly address this use of aggregate…

Educational tests are standardized so that all examinees are tested on the same material, under the same testing conditions, and with the same scoring protocols. This uniformity is designed to provide a level "playing field" for all examinees so that the test is "the same" for everyone. Thus, standardization is designed to…

This research report provides a description of the processes of evaluating the "deployability" of automated scoring (AS) systems from the perspective of large-scale educational assessments in operational settings. It discusses a comprehensive psychometric evaluation that entails analyses that take into consideration the specific purpose…

All Florida schools teach the Florida Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics and the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) in Science and Social Studies. Student performance provides important information to parents/guardians, teachers, policy makers, and the general public regarding how well students are learning.…

State policymakers are confronting well-documented intersecting crises -- medical, economic, and racial -- with especially dire implications for educational equity. State education leaders face a moral urgency to both understand and respond to the challenges students are experiencing and to do so in ways that address burgeoning equity gaps.…

All Florida schools teach the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics and the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) in Science and Social Studies. Student performance provides important information to parents/guardians, teachers, policy makers, and the general public regarding how well students…

All Florida schools teach the Florida Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Student performance on the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) provides important information to parents/guardians, teachers, policy makers, and the general public regarding how well students are learning the Florida Standards. This document has been…

All Florida schools teach the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics and the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) in Science and Social Studies. Student performance provides important information to parents/guardians, teachers, policy makers, and the general public regarding how well students…

"U.S. students are being educated less well these days than they should be," writes W. James Popham. One key contributing factor is that educators often use the wrong tests to make their most important educational decisions. Two recent events have made it a perfect time to change the way we conduct our educational testing: growing…

All Florida schools teach the Florida Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Student performance on the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) provides important information to parents/guardians, teachers, policy makers, and the general public regarding how well students are learning the Florida Standards. This document has been…

The measurement industry is in crisis. The public outcry against "over testing" and the opt-out movement are symptoms of a larger sociopolitical battle being fought over Common Core, teacher evaluation, federal intrusion, and a host of other issues, but much of the vitriol is directed at the tests and the testing industry. If we, as…

It is imperative that counselors understand how to critically evaluate assessments before using them to make clinical decisions. This evaluation can be conducted through integrating the 5 sources of validity. Each source of validity is discussed, along with methods to appraise psychometric quality, throughout this special issue.

All Florida schools teach the Florida Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Student performance on the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) provides important information to parents/guardians, teachers, policy makers, and the general public regarding how well students are learning the Florida Standards. This document has been…

This technical assistance paper provides policy and guidance to individuals with test administration responsibilities in adult education programs. The Florida assessment policies and guidelines presented herein are appropriate for state and federal reporting. Therefore, guidance and procedures regarding the selection and use of appropriate student…