Profstud 301 Final

If educators wish to accurately estimate the likelihood of consistent decisions about students who score at or near a​ high-stakes test's previously determined​ cut-score, which of the following indicators would be most useful for this​ purpose?

A conditional standard error of measurement​ (near the​ cut-score)

A​ self-report inventory intended to measure secondary​ students' confidence that they are​ "college and career​ ready" has recently been developed by administrators in an urban school district. To collect evidence bearing on the consistency with which this new inventory measures​ students' status with respect to this affective​ disposition, the inventory is administered to nearly 500 students in late January and​ then, a few weeks​ later, in​ mid-February. When​ students' scores on the two administrations have been​ correlated, which one of the following indicators of reliability will have been​ generated?

A test-retest reliability coefficient

A recently established​ for-profit measurement company has just published a​ brand-new set of​ "interim tests" intended to measure​ students' progress in attaining certain scientific skills designated as​ "21st century​ competencies." There are four supposedly equivalent versions of each interim​ test, and each of these four versions is to be administered about every two months. Correlation coefficients showing the relationship between every pair of the four versions are made available to users. What kind of coefficient do these​ between-version correlations​ represent?

An​ alternate-form coefficient

Consider following​ multiple-choice item dealing either with the nature of assessment bias or the ways of reducing​ it, and select the best of the three​ answer-options.

Because assessment bias erodes the validity of inferences derivative from​ students' test​ performances, even greater effort should be made to reduce assessment bias when working with these two distinctive populations.

Why do some members of the measurement community prefer to use the phrase​ "absence-of-bias" rather than​ "assessment bias" when quantitatively reporting the degree to which an educational test appears to be​ biased?

Because both reliability and​ validity, two key attributes of educational​ tests, are​ positive, "to be​ sought" qualities, so too is​ "absence-of-bias" a positive quality to be sought in educational tests.

Suppose that the developers of a new science achievement test had inadvertently laden their​ test's items with​ gender-based stereotypes regarding the role of women in science​ and, when the new test was​ given, the test scores of girls were markedly lower than the test scores of boys. Which of the following deficits most likely accounts for this gender disparity in​ students' scores?

Construct-irrelevant variance

This illustrative essay item was written for sixth graders. Thinking back over the mathematics lessons and homework assignments that you received during the past 12​ weeks, what mathematical conclusions can you​ draw? Describe those conclusions in no more than 300​ words, written by hand on the​ test-booklets provided or as a printed copy of your conclusions composed on one of our classroom computers. Select the statement that most accurately appraises this essay item for​ sixth-grade students.

Despite its adherence to one of the​ chapter's item-writing guidelines for essay​ items, the shoddy depiction of a​ student's task renders the item dysfunctional.

Which one of the following four pairs of validity evidence most frequently revolves exclusively around judgments focused on test​ content?

Developmental-care documentation and external content reviews by nonpartisan judges

Although the way a​ state's public schools are run is up to officials of that​ state, not the federal​ government, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that​ state-taught students must still be granted their constitutionally guaranteed​ rights, and this means that teachers should be guided about​ classroom-assessment coverage by the U.S. Constitution.

False

Although unintended side effects of a​ teacher's instructional efforts are often​ encountered, the unpredictability of such unintended effects renders them essentially useless for​ serious-minded teacher evaluation.

False

A​ teacher's effective use of performance assessment will almost certainly lead to substantial​ time-savings for that teacher.

False

Because of the inherent novelty of performance​ tests, they should be used as a powerful method of measuring​ students' mastery of​ "to-be-memorized" bodies of factual knowledge.

False

Because the National Assessment of Educational Progress​ (NAEP) is widely employed as a​ "grade-promotion" and​ "diploma-denial" exam for individual​ students, teachers whose students take NAEP tests should familiarize themselves with the content in NAEP assessment frameworks to identify potential emphases for classroom assessments.

False

Because​ parents' preferences regarding what their children should be learning are not only motivationally useful for teachers to employ but also constitute significant curricular guidance for​ educators, teachers should strive to incorporate​ parents' curricular opinions in all of their classroom assessments.

False

Because​ students' growth in their mastery of cognitive skills and knowledge is such a patently important factor by which to evaluate the success of not only​ schools, but also​ teachers, classroom assessments should focus exclusively on measuring​ students' cognitive status.

False

If a commercial publisher of educational tests announces that it is selling​ "instructionally diagnostic​ tests," teachers can be relatively certain the results of such tests will provide useful instructional guidance to teachers.

False

If a teacher decides to seek advice​ from, say, a group of several teacher colleagues regarding the appropriateness of the content for the​ teacher's planned classroom​ assessment, professional ethics demand that the curricular counsel of those colleagues must be accepted.

False

If a​ fifth-grade student's performance on a nationally standardized test indicates that the student has scored with a​grade-equivalent score of​ 7.6, this result indicates the​ fifth-grader has been placed at too low a grade level.

False

Most U.S. standardized aptitude tests have been developed by state departments of education in response to legislatively enacted accountability laws.

False

Norms tables based on the performances of local students​ in, for​ instance, a particular school​ district, are typically based on a higher level of​ students' performance than the performance levels seen in national normative tables

False

On an educational test created to fulfill an evaluative​ function, a test item will typically be most effective in distinguishing between successful and unsuccessful instruction if responses to the item are positively correlated with​ test-takers' socioeconomic status.

False

Performance​ testing, because of its requisite reliance on sometimes flawed human​ scoring, should be chiefly restricted to measuring​ students' mastery of​ lower-order cognitive skills.

False

Student growth​ percentiles, being employed in a large number of state​ teacher-evaluation programs, are calculated by subtracting last​ year's mean​ "accountability-test percentile" for the​ state's entire student population from this​ year's mean​ "accountability-test percentile" to determine if any resultant differences are positive.

False

​Fortunately, the students of almost all U.S. teachers are currently required to complete federally​ required, state-administered accountability examinations—thusmaking​ students' test performances available for use in​ teacher-evaluation systems.

False

​Scale-score interpretations of​ students' performances on standardized tests are almost always based on a mean score of 500 and a standard deviation of 100.

False

​Value-added models​ (VAM) are widely​ accepted, reasonably​ accurate, and easily understood statistical procedures for evaluating the instructional effectiveness of schools and teachers.

False

The relationship between the degree to which an educational test is biased and the​ test's disparate impact on certain groups of learners is an important one. Which of the following statements best captures the nature of this​ relationship?

If an educational assessment displays a disparate impact on different groups of​ test-takers, it may or may not be biased.

What are the two major causes of assessment bias we encounter in typical educational​ tests?

Offensiveness and unfair penalization

Suppose that you and several other teachers in a middle school were trying to construct a new test intended to be predictive of​ high-school students' subsequent scores on the SAT and ACT college admissions exams.​ Moreover, suppose that you were in no particular hurry to assemble validity evidence in support of the accuracy of those inferred predictions. Which one of the following sources of validity evidence would supply the most compelling support for the validity of your anticipated​ predictions?

Predictive validity evidence based on the new​ test's relation to other variables

Based on the 2014 edition of the Standards for Educational and Psychological​ Testing, and on common​ sense, which one of the following statements about​ students' test results represents a potentially appropriate phrasing​ that's descriptive of a set of​ students' test​ performances?

Students' scores on the test permit valid interpretations for this test's use.

If a multistate assessment consortium has generated a new performance test of​ students' oral communication skills and wishes to verify that​ students' scores on the performance test remain relatively similar regardless of the time during the school year when the test was​ completed, which of the following kinds of consistency evidence would be most​ appropriate?

Test-retest evidence of reliability

Ramon Ruiz is sorting out empty tin cans he found in the neighborhood. He has four piles based on different colors of the cans. He thinks he has made a mistake in adding up how many cans are in each pile. Please identify​ Ramon's addition statement that is in error. a. 20 bean cans plus 32 cans​ = 52 cans. b. 43 bean cans plus 18 cans​ = 61 cans. c. 38 bean cans plus 39 cans​ = 76 cans. d. 54 bean cans plus 12 cans​ = 66 cans

The assessment item appears to be biased against Americans of Latino backgrounds.

When external reviewers of a​ test's content attempt to judge how well a​ test's items mesh with a specified collection of curricular​ aims, which one of the following pairs of alignment indicators should be​ present?

The degree to which each of a​ test's items is aligned to one or more of the specified curricular aims and a​ content-coverage indication representing the proportion of the curricular aims adequately represented by the​ test's items

Here is an illustrative​ response-scoring plan devised by a​ high-school Latin teacher. Please review how the teacher plans to evaluate​ students' Latin​ compositions, then select the option that most accurately describes the​ teacher's scoring intentions. A Latin teacher in an urban high school​ (that has a long and​ oft-honored history of preparing students for​ college) frequently expresses during faculty meetings her complete disdain for what she calls​ "multiple-guess exams." As part of her annual​ teacher-evaluation evidence, she has been asked by her​ school's principal to present a written description of how she plans to evaluate​ students' responses to her​ constructed-response items. Please consider the following description supplied by the​ teacher, then select from four alternatives the most accurate comment regarding this​ teacher's scoring plans. ​"I plan to score my​ students' essay responses​ holistically, not​ analytically, because I invariably ask students to generate brief essays in which they must incorporate at least half of the new vocabulary terms encountered during the previous week. I supply students with a set of explicit evaluative criteria that I will incorporate in arriving at a​ single, overall judgment of an​ essay's quality.​ Actually, I always​ pre-weight each of these evaluative criteria and post those weights for students in advance of their tackling this task. Because this is a course emphasizing the writing of Latin​ (rather than oral​ Latin), I make it clear to my students—well in advance—that grammar and the other mechanics of writing are very important. When I score​ students' essays, if there is more than one essay per​ test, I score all of Essay One before moving on to Essay Two. Because I want these students to​ become, in a​ sense, Latin​ "journalists," I require that they clearly identify themselves with a byline at the outset of each essay. This scoring​ system, based on nearly 20 years of my teaching Latin to hundreds of our​ school's students, really​ works!" Select the statement that most accurately depicts this​ teacher's scoring plans.

The​ teacher's approach violates one of the​ chapter's essay-scoring guidelines.

Consider the following illustrative​ binary-choice item. Please decide whether the following statement regarding the reliability of educational tests is True or False. Please place a check behind the True or False to indicate your answer. True​ ___ False___ When determining a​ test's classification​ consistency, there is no need to consider the cut score employed nor that cut​ score's location in the score distribution. Which of the following statements best describes the illustrative​ item?

This illustrative item violates the​ item-specific guideline regarding the use of negative statements in a​ binary-choice item.

Consider the following illustrative matching item. Choose the best match between the item categories in List X and the​ strengths/weaknesses in List Y. List X List Y ​___ (1) matching a. Can cover much content ​___ (2)​ binary-choice b. Can test​ high-order cognition ​___ (3) multiple​ binary-choice c. May elicit only​ low-level knowledge d. Cannot assess creative responses Which of the following statements best describes the quality of the illustrative​ item?

This illustrative matching item contains several departures from Chapter​ Six's item-writing guidelines for matching items.

What is the chief function of validity evidence when employed to confirm the accuracy of​ score-based interpretations about​ test-takers' status in relation to specific uses of an educational​ test?

To support relevant propositions in a validity argument​ that's marshaled to determine the defensibility of certain​ score-based interpretations

Which one of the following sources of validity evidence should be of most interest to teachers when evaluating their own​ teacher-made tests?

Validity evidence based on test content

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. Mrs. Gordon makes sure she has her​ sixth-grade students practice each fall for the nationally standardized achievement tests required in the spring by the​ district's school board.​ Fortunately, she has been able to make photocopies of most of the​ test's pages during the past several​ years, so she can organize a highly relevant​two-week preparation unit wherein students are given actual test items to solve. At the close of the​ unit, students are supplied with a practice test on which about 60 percent of the test consists of actual items copied from the nationally standardized commercial test. Mrs. Gordon provides students with an answer key after they have taken the practice test so that they can check their answers. Mrs.​ Gordon's activities​ constitute:

violation of both guidelines

Which of the following indices of a​ test's reliability is most often provided by developers of the kinds of standardized tests destined for use with large numbers of​ students?

​Internal-consistency reliability coefficients

Suppose that a​ state's governor has appointed a​ blue-ribbon committee to establish a​ test-based promotion-denial system for reducing the number of​ sixth-grade students who are​ "socially" promoted to the seventh grade. The​ blue-ribbon committee's proposal calls for​ sixth-graders to be able to take a new​ high-stakes promotion exam at any time they wish during their​ grade-six school year. Given these​ circumstances, which one of the following evidences of the new promotion​ exam's measurement consistency should be​ collected?

Test-retest reliability

Among the most prevalent​ personal-bias errors made when scoring​ students' responses to performance tests are generosity​ errors, severity​ errors, and​ central-tendency errors.

True

A​ test's instructional sensitivity represents the degree to which​ students' performances on the test accurately reflect the quality of instruction specifically provided with the intention of promoting​ students' mastery of what is being assessed.

True

​Jürgen James, an experienced mathematics​ teacher, loves fussing with numbers based on his classroom assessments. He studies the performance of his previous​ year's students on key tests to help him arrive at​ criterion-referenced interpretations regarding which segments of his instructional program seem to be working well or badly. Based on the performances of both of his algebra​ classes, he learns that the differences in p​-values for items taken by uninstructed students​ (based on a​ first-of-year pretest) and ​p-values for items taken by instructed students​ (based on final​ exams) are whopping. That​ is, when pretest p​-values are subtracted from final exam p​-values, the resulting differences are mostly at least .40 or higher. Mr. James concludes that his algebra items were doing precisely the job they were created to do. Which of the quotes from Mr.​ James's fellow teachers most accurately characterizes his conclusion regarding his algebra​ items?

"Jürgen came to the correct​ conclusion, and​ I'm not surprised by his​ students' p​-value jumps—he is a spectacular math​ teacher!"

Rodney Gardner teaches history in a very large urban high​ school, and he has been experimenting this year with the use of different kinds of classroom assessments to gauge his​ students' mastery of key historical concepts and facts. About a month into the new school​ year, Mr. Gardner used a​ 25-item multiple-choice test to measure how well students had mastered a rather large array of factual information about key events in U.S. history. He calculated thep​-value for each of the​ test's 25​ four-option items, and he was relatively pleased when the average p​-value for the entire set of 25 items was .56. Much later in the​ year, with the same​ class, he tried out another assessment tactic with a​ brand-new test consisting of 40​ True/False items. He chose the​ binary-choice items​ because, after almost six months of​ instruction, there was substantially more historical knowledge to assess. When he calculated p​-values for each of the 40​ items, he was gratified to discover that the average p​-value was .73. Mr. Gardner concluded that because of the p​-value ​"bump" of​ .17, his​ students' learning had increased substantially. Please select from the four choices below the statement that most accurately describes Mr.​ Gardner's interpretation of his​ students' test results.

A serious flaw in Mr.​ Gardner's conclusion about his​ students' improved learning is that students have a higher probability of guessing correct answers from a set of​ early-instruction four-option items than from a​ later-instruction set of​ binary-choice items.

Anita Gonzales teaches​ middle-school English courses. At least half of her classroom tests call for students to author original compositions. Her other tests are typically composed of​ selected-response items. Anita has recently committed herself to the improvement of these​ selected-response tests, so when she distributes those tests to her​ students, she also supplies an​ item-improvement questionnaire to each student. The questionnaire asks students as they complete their tests to identify any items that they regard as​ (a) confusing,​ (b) having multiple correct​ answers, (c) having no correct​ answers, or​ (d) containing unfamiliar vocabulary terms. Students are to turn in their questionnaires along with their completed​ tests, but are given the option of turning in the questionnaires anonymously or not. Which of the following statements most accurately portrays​ Anita's test-improvement​ procedures?

Although seeking​ students' judgments regarding her tests has much to commend​ it, Anita should have sought​ students' reactions to a test only after they had completed it—by distributing blank copies of the test along with the​ item-improvement questionnaire.

These illustrative​ short-answer items were created for use in a​ twelfth-grade English course and are intended to be used in the​ course's midterm exam. Please complete the​ short-answer items below by filling in the blank you will find in each item. • ​__________ is the case to be employed with all modifiers of gerund—definitely including pronouns. • A​ __________ infinitive​ that, in former​ times, was regarded as a grammatical error is now acceptably encountered in all kinds of writing. Which of the following assertions best reflects how these two​ short-answer items conform to the​ chapter's item-writing guidelines for such items.

Although several of the​ chapter's item-writing guidelines have been properly​ followed, there is the​ same, rather​ obvious, violation of an​ item-writing guideline in both items.

During last​ year's end-of-school evaluation​ conference, Jessica​ Jones, a​ high-school social studies​ teacher, was told by the principal that her classroom tests were​ "haphazard at​ best." Jessica now intends to systematically review each of the classroom tests she​ builds, based on her​ principal's suggestions. She intends to personally evaluate each test on the basis of​ (a) its likely contribution to a valid​ test-based inference,​ (b) the accuracy of its​ content, (c) the absence of any important content​ omissions, and​ (d) the​ test's fundamental fairness.​ Choose, from the following​ options, the best appraisal of​ Jessica's test-review plans.

Although the four​ test-review factors Jessica chose will help her identify certain deficiencies in her​ tests, she should also incorporate as review criteria a full range of widely endorsed​ experience-based and​ research-based (a)​ item-specific guidelines and​ (b) general​ item-writing guidelines

A compulsive​ middle-school teacher, even after reading Chapter​ 2's recommendation urging teachers not to collect reliability evidence for their own​ teacher-made tests, perseverates in calculating​ Kuder-Richardson indices for all of his major and minor classroom exams. What kind of reliability indicator is this teacher attempting to​ compute?

An internal-consistency reliability coefficient

Please assume you are a​ middle-school English teacher​ who, despite this​ chapter's urging that you​ rarely, if​ ever, collect reliability evidence for your own​ tests, stubbornly decides to do so for all of your​ mid-term and final exams. Although you wish to determine the reliability of your tests for the group of students in each of your​classes, you only wish to administer the tests destined for such reliability analyses on one​ occasion, not two or more. Given this​ constraint, which of the following coefficients would be most suitable for your​ reliability-determination purposes?

An internal-consistency reliability coefficient

A dozen​ middle-school mathematics teachers in a large school district have collaborated to create a​ 30-item test of​ students' grasp of what the​ test's developers have labeled​ "Essential Quantitative​ Aptitude," that​ is, students' EQA. All 30 items were constructed in an effort to measure each​ student's EQA. Before using the test with many​ students, however, the developers wish to verify that all or most of its items are functioning​ homogeneously, that​ is, are properly aimed at gauging a​ test-taker's EQA. On which of the following indicators of assessment reliability should the test developers focus their​ efforts?an​ internal-consistency reliability coefficient

An​ internal-consistency reliability coefficient

This illustrative item is intended for use in a​ middle-school American history course. ​Directions: Remembering the class discussions of​ America's current immigration​ issues, please provide a brief essay on each of the issues cited below. You will have a full​ 50-minute class period to complete this​ examination, and you should divide your​ essay-writing efforts equally between the two topics. In grading your twin​ essays, equal weight will be given to each essay.​ Remember, compose two clear essays—onefor each issue. Your Two Essay Topics 1. Why would some form of​ "amnesty" for illegal aliens be a helpful solution to at least part of​ today's U.S. immigration​ problems? 2. Why would some form of​ "amnesty" for illegal aliens be a disastrous solution to​ today's U.S. immigration​ problems? Which of the following statements most accurately describes the match between the illustrative item and the Chapter 7 guidelines for creating essay​ items?

At least one of the​ chapter's guidelines has been explicitly followed in the illustrative item.

The teaching staff in a suburban middle school is concerned with the quality of their​ school's teacher-made classroom assessments. This issue has arisen because the district school board has directed all schools to install a​ teacher-evaluation process featuring​ "prominently weighted" evidence of​ students' learning—as measured chiefly by​ teacher-made tests. Because many of these teachers have never completed any sort of educational measurement​ course, they are worried about whether their​ teacher-made tests will be up to the evaluative challenge presented by the​ district's new​ teacher-appraisal procedure. The district office requires teachers to submit all​ students' responses from each classroom assessment immediately after those assessments have been administered.​ Then, in less than two weeks after​ submission, teachers receive descriptive statistics for each test​ (such as​ students' means and standard​ deviations). Teachers also receive an internal consistency reliability coefficient for the total test​ and, in​ addition, a p​-value and an​ item-discrimination index for each item. Teachers then must personally judge the quality of their own​ tests' items. The​ teachers' reviews of their​ test's individual items are seen as​ "subjective" by almost everyone​ involved, whereas the empirical evidence of item quality is regarded as​ "objective." Thus, the​ school's faculty unanimously decides to weight​ teachers' own​ per-item judgments at 25 percent while weighting the statistical​ per-item p​-values and​ item-discrimination indices at 75 percent. Please select the statement that most accurately characterizes the​ test-improvement procedures in this suburban middle school.

Because the relevance of traditional​ item-quality indicators, such as those supplied by this​ school's district​ office, can vary depending on the specific use to which a​ teacher-made test will be​ put, the​ across-the-board weightings​ (25 percent​ judgmental; 75 percent​ empirical) may be inappropriate for the proposed​teacher-evaluation process.

Only one of the following statements about a​ test's classification consistency is accurate. Select the accurate statement regarding classification consistency.

Classification consistency indicators represent the proportion of students classified identically on two testing occasions.

Mr.​ Wong, a​ second-year mathematics teacher in a large urban high​ school, is seeking frequent reactions to his​ teacher-made tests from the other mathematics teachers in his school. He typically first secures his​ colleagues' agreement during informal​ faculty-lounge conversations, then relays copies of his tests—along with brief review forms—at several points in the school year. Although Mr. Wong simultaneously carries out systematic reviews of his own tests by employing what he regards as​ "a first-rate"​ test-appraisal rubric from his school​ district, when his own views regarding any of his​ test's items conflict with those of his​ colleagues, he always defers to the reactions of his much more experienced fellow teachers. Please choose from the following options the most accurate statement regarding Mr.​ Wong's test-improvement efforts. Question options:

Even though Mr. Wong is wise in seeking the​ item-quality reactions of his​ school's other math teachers—especially because he is only in his second year of teaching—the ultimate decision about the quality of any of his test items should not be deferentially based on collegial input​ but, rather, based on Mr.​ Wong's own judgment.

A​ district's new​ teacher-evaluation procedure is heavily based on observations of​ teachers' classroom performances.​ School-site administrators, along with a small group of recently retired school​ principals, have been observing the​ teachers, then supplying evaluations related to​ teachers' observed instructional effectiveness. When officials of the​ teachers' union raise a concern about these​ teacher-evaluators' inconsistencies of judgment when using a​ district-devised observation​ form, the​ district's superintendent asks her staff to collect validity evidence bearing on the​ teachers' union concern. Which one of the following sources of validity evidence will most likely play a major role in resolving the charge that the​ classroom-observation evidence is​ flawed?

Evidence based on response processes

Assume a​ state's education authorities have recently established a policy​ that, in order for students to be promoted to the next grade​ level, those students must pass a​ state-supervised English and language arts​ (ELA) exam. Administered near the close of Grades​ three, six, and​ eight, the three new​ grade-level exams are intended to determine a​ student's mastery of the official​ state-approved ELA curricular targets for those three grades. As state authorities set out to provide support for these​ "promotion-denial" exams, which one of the following sources of validity evidence are they likely to rely on most​ heavily?

Evidence based on test content

One of your​ colleagues, a​ high-school chemistry​ teacher, believes that certain of her students have somehow gained access to the final exams she has always used in her classes. To address what she calls​ "this serious security​ violation," she has created four new versions of all of her major exams—four versions that she regards as​ "equally challenging." She has recently sought your advice regarding what sort of reliability evidence she ought to be collecting regarding these new multiple renditions of her chemistry exams. In this​ situation, which one of the following should you be recommending to​ her?

Evidence regarding the​ alternate-form reliability of her several exams

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Maria Flores Installs Portfolio Assessment Having decided to adopt a portfolio assessment approach for the​ written-composition segment of her​ middle-school English​ classes, Maria Flores introduces her students to the new assessment scheme by asking a commercial artist friend of hers to speak to each class. The artist brings his own portfolio and shows students how it allows prospective clients to judge his work. Ms. Flores tells her students that her​ friend's portfolio is called a​ "showcase portfolio" and that students will be preparing both a showcase portfolio to periodically involve their parents in reviewing a​ student's work​ products, as well as a​ "working portfolio" to keep track of all of their composition drafts and final products. Ms. Flores and her friend emphasize that both kinds of portfolios must be owned by the​ student, not the teacher. Early in the academic​ year, Ms. Flores works with each of her classes to decide collaboratively on the evaluative criteria to be used in the rubrics that will be used in a particular class for judging the composition efforts of a given class. Although these​ "per-class" rubrics occasionally differ in certain respects for different​ classes, they are generally quite similar. Students are directed to place all of their drafts and final versions in folders and then put those folders in a designated file drawer in the classroom. Ms. Flores makes sure to review all​ students' portfolios at least once a month.​ Typically, she devotes one preparation period a day to a different​class's portfolios. Because the portfolios are readily​ available, Ms. Flores finds it convenient and​ time-efficient to evaluate​ students' progress in this manner. She provides a brief​ (dated) "teacher's​ evaluation" for students to consider when they work with their own portfolios. At least twice every​ term, Ms. Flores selects what she considers to be the​ students' best finished compositions from their working portfolios. She places such work products in a showcase portfolio. Students are directed to take these showcase portfolios home to let their families see what kinds of compositions they have been creating. Parents are enthusiastic about this practice. A number of parents have told the​ school's principal that Ms.​ Flores's "take-home" portfolio system is the way they would like to see other aspects of their​ children's performances evaluated. To be​ fair, Ms. Flores should have established a uniform set of evaluative criteria for all of her classes.

False

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Gary Owens Gives Portfolio Assessment a Try A​ third-grade teacher, Gary​ Owens, has just completed a summer​ professional-development workshop on portfolio assessment. He and a number of the teachers at his school have decided to try out performance assessment at least in limited parts of their instructional and assessment programs. Gary has decided to use portfolios with his​ third-graders' mathematics work for a full school year. He introduces students to the activity by stressing the importance of their personal ownership of the portfolios and the significance of their choosing the kinds of mathematics work they put in their portfolios. Gary suggests to the class that students include only​ problem-solution mathematics work in their portfolios.​ Thus, they should not put drill work and simple computational work in the portfolios. The students discuss this suggestion for a while and then unanimously agree. Early​ on, Gary works with students for two full days to decide on the evaluative criteria in the rubrics he and they will use when evaluating the mathematics work in the portfolios. They​ decide, collaboratively, that the major evaluative criteria will be​ (1) selection of proper solution​ strategies, (2) accurate completion of selected solution​ procedures, and​ (3) arrival at the correct solution to the problem. Students routinely collect their work and place it for safekeeping in specially marked cardboard boxes that Gary has arranged on the​ "Portfolio Shelf." Every two​ months, Gary holds an individual portfolio conference with each student during which he supplies the student with a​ "teacher's appraisal" of that​ student's portfolio work. It is clear to Gary that his​ students' ability to solve mathematics problems has improved substantially. Although it took most students several weeks to get used to the​ process, they now seem to thoroughly enjoy​ Gary's version of portfolio assessment in mathematics. He does also. Although Gary holds individual portfolio conferences with students every two​ months, he should have been holding such conferences weekly.

False

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Gary Owens Gives Portfolio Assessment a Try A​ third-grade teacher, Gary​ Owens, has just completed a summer​ professional-development workshop on portfolio assessment. He and a number of the teachers at his school have decided to try out performance assessment at least in limited parts of their instructional and assessment programs. Gary has decided to use portfolios with his​ third-graders' mathematics work for a full school year. He introduces students to the activity by stressing the importance of their personal ownership of the portfolios and the significance of their choosing the kinds of mathematics work they put in their portfolios. Gary suggests to the class that students include only​ problem-solution mathematics work in their portfolios.​ Thus, they should not put drill work and simple computational work in the portfolios. The students discuss this suggestion for a while and then unanimously agree. Early​ on, Gary works with students for two full days to decide on the evaluative criteria in the rubrics he and they will use when evaluating the mathematics work in the portfolios. They​ decide, collaboratively, that the major evaluative criteria will be​ (1) selection of proper solution​ strategies, (2) accurate completion of selected solution​ procedures, and​ (3) arrival at the correct solution to the problem. Students routinely collect their work and place it for safekeeping in specially marked cardboard boxes that Gary has arranged on the​ "Portfolio Shelf." Every two​ months, Gary holds an individual portfolio conference with each student during which he supplies the student with a​ "teacher's appraisal" of that​ student's portfolio work. It is clear to Gary that his​ students' ability to solve mathematics problems has improved substantially. Although it took most students several weeks to get used to the​ process, they now seem to thoroughly enjoy​ Gary's version of portfolio assessment in mathematics. He does also. ​Gary's early effort to work with his students in determining the evaluative criteria for their rubrics was premature and should have been delayed until at least the middle of the school year so that students would better understand the nature of the mathematics skills being sought.

False

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Maria Flores Installs Portfolio Assessment Having decided to adopt a portfolio assessment approach for the​ written-composition segment of her​ middle-school English​ classes, Maria Flores introduces her students to the new assessment scheme by asking a commercial artist friend of hers to speak to each class. The artist brings his own portfolio and shows students how it allows prospective clients to judge his work. Ms. Flores tells her students that her​ friend's portfolio is called a​ "showcase portfolio" and that students will be preparing both a showcase portfolio to periodically involve their parents in reviewing a​ student's work​ products, as well as a​ "working portfolio" to keep track of all of their composition drafts and final products. Ms. Flores and her friend emphasize that both kinds of portfolios must be owned by the​ student, not the teacher. Early in the academic​ year, Ms. Flores works with each of her classes to decide collaboratively on the evaluative criteria to be used in the rubrics that will be used in a particular class for judging the composition efforts of a given class. Although these​ "per-class" rubrics occasionally differ in certain respects for different​ classes, they are generally quite similar. Students are directed to place all of their drafts and final versions in folders and then put those folders in a designated file drawer in the classroom. Ms. Flores makes sure to review all​ students' portfolios at least once a month.​ Typically, she devotes one preparation period a day to a different​class's portfolios. Because the portfolios are readily​ available, Ms. Flores finds it convenient and​ time-efficient to evaluate​ students' progress in this manner. She provides a brief​ (dated) "teacher's​ evaluation" for students to consider when they work with their own portfolios. At least twice every​ term, Ms. Flores selects what she considers to be the​ students' best finished compositions from their working portfolios. She places such work products in a showcase portfolio. Students are directed to take these showcase portfolios home to let their families see what kinds of compositions they have been creating. Parents are enthusiastic about this practice. A number of parents have told the​ school's principal that Ms.​ Flores's "take-home" portfolio system is the way they would like to see other aspects of their​ children's performances evaluated. Ms. Flores and her artist friend should never have urged​ middle-school students to personally own their​ portfolios, particularly while students were first learning about​ portfolio-assessment procedures.

False

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Maria Flores Installs Portfolio Assessment Having decided to adopt a portfolio assessment approach for the​ written-composition segment of her​ middle-school English​ classes, Maria Flores introduces her students to the new assessment scheme by asking a commercial artist friend of hers to speak to each class. The artist brings his own portfolio and shows students how it allows prospective clients to judge his work. Ms. Flores tells her students that her​ friend's portfolio is called a​ "showcase portfolio" and that students will be preparing both a showcase portfolio to periodically involve their parents in reviewing a​ student's work​ products, as well as a​ "working portfolio" to keep track of all of their composition drafts and final products. Ms. Flores and her friend emphasize that both kinds of portfolios must be owned by the​ student, not the teacher. Early in the academic​ year, Ms. Flores works with each of her classes to decide collaboratively on the evaluative criteria to be used in the rubrics that will be used in a particular class for judging the composition efforts of a given class. Although these​ "per-class" rubrics occasionally differ in certain respects for different​ classes, they are generally quite similar. Students are directed to place all of their drafts and final versions in folders and then put those folders in a designated file drawer in the classroom. Ms. Flores makes sure to review all​ students' portfolios at least once a month.​ Typically, she devotes one preparation period a day to a different​class's portfolios. Because the portfolios are readily​ available, Ms. Flores finds it convenient and​ time-efficient to evaluate​ students' progress in this manner. She provides a brief​ (dated) "teacher's​ evaluation" for students to consider when they work with their own portfolios. At least twice every​ term, Ms. Flores selects what she considers to be the​ students' best finished compositions from their working portfolios. She places such work products in a showcase portfolio. Students are directed to take these showcase portfolios home to let their families see what kinds of compositions they have been creating. Parents are enthusiastic about this practice. A number of parents have told the​ school's principal that Ms.​ Flores's "take-home" portfolio system is the way they would like to see other aspects of their​ children's performances evaluated. Ms.​ Flores's major omission in her implementation of portfolio assessment is her failure to engage her students in​ one-on-one portfolio conferences during the school year. Because she teaches at the​ middle-school level, Ms. Flores should not have used both showcase and working portfolios during the same time with her students.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. If respondents who are completing an affective​ self-report inventory​ that's presented by a computer are informed at the outset that their responses will be​ anonymous, it can be safely assumed that almost all students will believe their responses to be truly anonymous.

False

Darrell Ito teaches English in a suburban middle school and has been intrigued by his​ principal's strong advocacy of formative assessment. He has read several articles about formative assessment and borrowed a book from his​ school's professional-development library dealing solely with how a teacher launches a​formative-assessment program. Based on what he has​ read, Darrell decides not to use formative assessment when his students are learning how to create original compositions​ but, rather, when pursuing any curricular aims involving​ "Writer's Rules," such as punctuation​ rules, spelling​ rules, and usage conventions.​ Moreover, he decides to rely almost exclusively on​ students' self-reported​ understandings, that​ is, their use of​ red, green, and yellow plastic cups to indicate the degree to which they are​ "getting it" as the class proceeds. Every few​ weeks, based on his analysis of the sequence of rules his students must master​ (part of what he calls a​ "learning progression"), Darrell orally presents a set of three or four​ "Writer's Rules" to his students. After each rule has been​ presented, Darrell​ says, "Traffic-signal​ colors, class!" At that​ point, students put a green cup on top of their​ cup-stack to indicate that they understand the presented rule well. Students put a yellow cup on top of their stack if they are unsure about their understanding of the rule just given.​ And, of​ course, the red cup goes on top of the stack if a student really is baffled by the particular rule that Darrell has described. As​ students' cup stacks are being​ rearranged, Darrell visually surveys the stacks to determine which colors predominate. Because formative assessment calls for an obligatory instructional adjustment based on​ assessment-elicited evidence, Darrell provides additional instruction regarding each rule—but tries to make the adjusted instruction quite different from the way he taught the rule earlier. The greater the prevalence of yellow or red​ cups, the more instructional time Darrell devotes to what he calls his​ "second stab" at​ rule-teaching. Based on several months of​ Darrell's attempt to implement formative assessment in his English​ classes, almost all students are pleased with the approach. So is Darrell. ​Darrell's decision to use formative assessment only with the more explicit​ Writer's Rules, rather than with the promotion of​ students' actual composition​ skills, was acceptable chiefly because formative assessment is not effective when used in pursuit of​ students' cognitive skills that must be measured by​ constructed-response items.

False

Emily Contreras teaches​ "Modern Spanish" in a large suburban high school whose Latino students constitute less than 10 percent of the student body. Sensing the approach of substantial demographic changes in the United​ States, she wants to make certain that many more of her​ school's non-Latino students have at least a modicum of​ Spanish-speaking skills. Because Emily has a solid belief in the value of​ assessment-illuminated instruction and especially the merits of formative​ assessment, she was particularly pleased last year to see that a commercial test organization had published a set of new​ "formative assessments in Spanish designed for students at all levels of​Spanish-speaking proficiency." Emily persuaded her​ school's principal, in collaboration with principals from several other district high​ schools, to purchase sufficient copies of these new tests to be used in the manner the​ tests' publisher specifies. The​ tests, according to their​ publisher, are to be administered four times a year—at the beginning of the school​ year, at its​ conclusion, and at two separate times during the middle three months of the school year. In this​ way, the publisher​ asserts, "the​ tests' formative​ dividends" will be maximized for both teachers and students alike. The new tests are described by their developers as​ "consistent with findings of the widely accepted Black and Wiliam research review of​ 1998" and can also function as excellent predictors of​ high-school students' subsequent college accomplishments if they take additional courses in Spanish. Emily is simply delighted that these new assessments in​ Spanish, previously unavailable wherever she has been​ teaching, can be used in her classes. ​Emily's acceptance of the prescribed fashion in which the new tests are to be administered leads to the warranted conclusion that she is definitely engaged in the​ formative-assessment process.

False

Even though teachers should not take away too much instructional time because of their classroom​ assessments, the number of assessment targets addressed by any classroom test should still be numerous and​ wide-ranging so that more curricular content can be covered.

False

For evaluation of instructional​ quality, if the evidence of​ students' learning collected from external accountability tests disagrees with the evidence of​ students' learning collected from​ teacher-made classroom​ assessments, the​ accountability-test evidence should always trump the​ classroom-assessment evidence.

False

From a purely statistical​ perspective, when student growth is to play a prominent role in the evaluation of teachers and​ pre-instruction assessment results are to be contrasted with​ post-instruction assessment​ results, it is advantageous for a​ teacher's students to score particularly high on the pretest.

False

Fully 50 percent of any college​ student's grades can be linked back to that​ student's performance on the ACT or SAT while in high school.

False

George Lee has recently been asked by his principal to teach a geography course in the high school where he has taught for the past four years. Although George has never taken a​ college-level course in​ geography, his principal assures him that he can​ "pull this off with​ ease." The emergency situation was caused by the sudden illness of the​ school's regular geography​ teacher, Mr.​ Hibbard, just before the start of the school year. As he surveys the materials that Mr. Hibbard has left​ him, George sees there are five major curricular outcomes that students are supposed to achieve during the​ one-semester course.​ However, as far as George can​ see, Mr.​ Hibbard's exams seem to be based more on the content covered in the​ course's geography textbook than deal specifically with the five curricular outcomes.​ Nonetheless, after reviewing the five curricular​ goals, Mr. Hibbard has described to him in an​ e-mail, and also prominently posted on the classroom bulletin​ board, George is increasingly convinced that much of the content in the textbook​ (and on Mr.​ Hibbard's midterm and final​ exams) is not particularly relevant to the five​ "Geography Goals" emphasized by Mr. Hibbard. Given his modest familiarity with​ geography, however, George is delighted that Mr. Hibbard has left his exams to be used if a substitute teacher wishes to employ them. George definitely plans to do so. George urges his students to pay careful attention to the five goals as they study their geography material throughout the semester. He then determines each​ student's grade primarily on the basis of the two major exams in the course—that​is, 50 percent for the final​ exam; 35 percent for the midterm​ exam; 10 percent for​ short, in-class​ quizzes; and 5 percent for class participation. Is George a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

False

If a​ state's education officials have endorsed the Common Core State​ Standards, but have chosen to create their​ state's own accountability tests to measure those standards​ (instead of using tests built by a multistate assessment​ consortium), it is still sensible for a teacher in that state to seek​ test-construction guidance from​ what's measured by​ consortium-created tests.

False

If ever a single term captured Mary​ Evan's conception of​ teaching, it would surely be the word​ "differentiation." Mary knows all too​ well, from her 13 years of teaching​ primary-grade children, that students vary enormously not only in what they have learned as part of their own family experiences but also with respect to their innate strengths and weaknesses.​ Accordingly, when she dispenses grades in her​ class, she is repelled by any evaluative procedure that fails to take into consideration these enormous differences. Because her school​ district's leaders are insistent on emphasizing the​ state's official content standards​ (curricular aims), those officials insist that all of the​ district's teachers structure their major semester grades around the​ state's content standards. In her​ case, however, Mary differentiates by adjusting each​ student's grade so that it represents how well a student has mastered the​ state-approved curricular aims—butalways in relation to each​ student's actual​ "potential to​ excel." What​ Mary's approach​ means, in practical​ terms, is that sometimes students whose​ potential, according to a judgment by​ Mary, is quite limited​ may, even though scoring much lower on key exams than many other​ students, end up with the same grade as​ other, more able students. Is Mary a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

False

In recognition of the significant impact a​ state's official accountability tests can have on what that​ state's students ought to be​ learning, it is apparent that a​ teacher's classroom tests should only measure the very same skills and knowledge that are assessed on the​ state's accountability tests—and never assess​ students' mastery of en route skills or bodies of knowledge that teachers might see as contributory to mastering​ what's measured on the state tests.

False

Information about how to differentiate the quality of​ students' responses to​ performance-test tasks should be supplied for a minimum of at least half of a​ rubric's evaluative criteria.

False

Instructionally diagnostic​ tests, because their mission is to promote greater learning from​ students, must necessarily be focused on detecting a​ student's weaknesses. Question options:

False

In​ general, holistically scored rubrics are more useful for pinpointing​ students' strengths and weaknesses than are analytically scored rubrics.

False

James Jackson teaches third graders in an​ inner-city elementary school. He has been a faculty member at the school for two​ years, having taught the third grade at a rural school for five years before that. Because he is dismayed with the skills of his​ students, especially in​ mathematics, he has decided to implement a​formative-assessment strategy—in math only—for his students. He understands that formative assessment will generally be more successful if it focuses attention on only a modest number of​ higher-order mathematics skills rather than on a large number of less important subskills and bodies of knowledge that​ third-grade children should master.​ Accordingly, he identifies six truly challenging mathematics skills and splits the school year into six separate​ skill-promotion units of at least six​ weeks' duration aimed at each of the six target skills. For each of the six​ units, he then identifies a learning progression identifying no more than four​ "building blocks," that​ is, subskills or bodies of knowledge James regards as precursive to​ students' attainment of the mathematics skill being promoted in each unit. These learning progressions serve as a sort of​ "instructional map" intended to guide James with his teaching. As students near the close of each building​ block, James uses a variety of​ selected-response tests to measure his​ students' mastery of the subskill or knowledge embodied in that particular building block.​ Then, for any building block with which many students are having​ difficulty, he provides additional and sometimes dramatically different instruction dealing with what the building block measured. James believes his approach to formative assessment seems to be working. James definitely selected too few complex skills for a full academic year becausestudents—rural or inner city—can master many more than six challenging cognitive skills in math.

False

Leonard teaches four general science courses in an urban middle school. He is familiar with the substantial body of research evidence indicating that​ students' level of effort is a powerful predictor of their subsequent success in school​ and, perhaps more​ importantly, later in life when school years will only be a memory.​Accordingly, when Leonard grades his 114 students each​ term, he never grades them simply on the basis of how well they have achieved the six curricular aims around which his science course is organized.​ Rather, for each​ student, Leonard attempts to reach an informed judgment about that particular​ student's level of effort exhibited in the science course. He tries to observe students closely during the course and often makes recorded judgments about each​ student's effort level on a​ one-to-five point scale. Leonard always makes this mix of effort and goal achievement well known to his students in​ advance, feeling it only​ fair, as he​ says, to​ "lay his grading cards on the​ table." Moreover, he believes that his​ effort-oriented grading system will spur his students to work harder in the course. Is Leonard a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

False

Many standardized educational tests created by commercial assessment firms are instructionally insensitive primarily because their developers deliberately intended to construct standardized tests uninfluenced by the often unpredictable caliber of different teachers.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. A​ teacher's challenge in reducing​ students' tendency to supply socially desirable answers on a​ self-report inventory is identical to the challenge in reducing​ students' socially desirable responses to the items on a cognitive test.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. If a teacher sets out to bring about changes in​ students' values, he or she needs to select as a curricular aim the promotion of only those values that are supported by more than 50 percent of the​ students' parents and at least half of the general citizenry of the state in which the​ teacher's school is located. Question options:

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. The difficulties stemming from the presence of​ "social desirability's" contamination of​ students' responses can be effectively addressed by informing students in the initial directions that they are to identify themselves only after responding to all items.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. The greater the educational significance that a teacher attributes to the pursuit of affective curricular​ aims, the more acceptable it is for the teacher to use​ students' self-report responses not only to arrive at affectively focused inferences about groups of students but also to make inferences about particular​ student's affective status.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. The only acceptable response options presented to a student who must complete a​ self-report affective inventory containing statements about the same topic should be the​ following: Strongly​ Agree, Agree,​ Uncertain, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. The vast majority of educators think revealing to students the nature of a​ teacher's affective curricular aims—at the outset of instruction—is an instructionally sensible action to take.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. To provide a more complete picture of​ students' current affective​ status, it is sensible to ask students to supplement their anonymous responses to a​ self-report inventory by adding​ optional, unsigned explanatory comments if they wish to do so.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. When anonymously completed​ self-report inventories are being used in an attempt to assess​ students' affect, if some students respond too positively​ and, at the same​ time, some students respond too​ negatively, teachers simply cannot draw valid​ group-focused inferences about​ students' affective status.

False

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. When assessing the affective dispositions of a group of students by using a​ self-report inventory, it is obligatory to employ a Likert inventory as similar as possible to the inventories introduced by Rensis Likert in 1932.

False

One of the most practical ways of reducing the reactive effects of pretesting on​ students' performances is to construct two equidifficult forms of a​ test, then randomly administer one of the forms as a pretest and the other form as a posttest.

False

Prior to its recent​ redesign, the SAT was fundamentally an achievement​ test, whereas the ACT​ is, at​ bottom, an aptitude test.

False

Rose Stanley believes in the importance of letting her​ fifth-grade students know what the educational objectives​ are, and she does so at the beginning of each school year.​ Moreover, Rose believes that a prominent determinant of the grades she gives to students should be directly linked to how well students have achieved the objectives set out for them. ​However, Rose realizes that statements of educational objectives are sometimes similar to the ink blots in a projective Rorschach test where we often see in those ink blots what we wish to see.​ Accordingly, Rose enlists the advice of her students in deciding how much to weight the various kinds of evidence that will be used in determining whether a student​ has, in​ fact, mastered each of the nine major objectives she had chosen for the students. At least two​ hours, on and​ off, are devoted early in the school year to class discussions of how to weight such things as​ students' test​ performances, in-class​ participation, effort​ level, attendance, independent and group projects related to one or more of the nine major objectives.​ Rose's students appear to be particularly content with the​ grade-related weightings​ and, after those weights have been​ applied, to the actual grades Rose awards. Is Rose a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

False

Task-specific rubrics typically contribute more to promoting​ students' generalizable mastery of​ high-level cognitive skills than do​ skill-focused rubrics.

False

Teachers who rely chiefly on hypergeneral rubrics are most likely to spur students to acquire a generalized mastery of whatever skills are being assessed by the performance tests involved.

False

The most effective way to construct rubrics for efficient and accurate scoring of​ students' responses to performance tests is to build tests that can be scored simultaneously using analytic and holistic evaluative approaches.

False

Two federal​ initiatives, the Race to the Top Program in 2009 and the ESEA Flexibility Program in​ 2011, caused a dramatic increase in U.S.​ educators' attempts to create defensible​ teacher-appraisal programs focused on the formative evaluation of a teacher.

False

Whenever​ possible, teachers should attempt to have their assessments focus quite equally on the​ cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains because almost all human acts including ​students' test-taking—rely to a considerable extent on those three domains of behavior.

False

When​ large-scale achievement tests contain many items linked to​ students' socioeconomic status or to​ students' inherited academic​ aptitudes, such tests more accurately identify the instructional quality of the​ students' teachers.

False

Whereas percentiles function as a relative scheme for interpreting standardized test​ results, grade-equivalent scores represent an absolute procedure for interpreting results of standardized testing.

False

​What's most important to Antonio Lopez is that students learn what they are supposed to learn. He teaches social studies in an​ inner-city middle​ school, and his students are remarkably heterogeneous. Many of the families served by​ Antonio's school are definitely​ low-income, but in the past few years a major​ "gentrification" project has led to the arrival of a fair number of more affluent families. Faced with such​ diversity, Antonio attempts to make his grading system mesh with the composition of the​ school's students. The essence of​ Antonio's approach to grading is quite simple. What he does is wait a full month before assigning instructional goals to his​ students, but those assignments are particularized. In other​ words, they're peculiar to each student—notapplicable to all students. During the first month of​ school, Antonio attempts to get a fix on each​ student's probability of goal mastery. He administers several classroom assessments​ that, although focused on assessing​ students' social studies​ achievement, seem to function in a fashion similar to that fulfilled by a​ group-administrable aptitude test. The resultant sets of instructional goals are quite distinctive. Any pair of students are likely to have few​ in-common goals. Antonio is convinced that his particularization of grading expectations​ will, in the long​ term, benefit his students. Is Antonio a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

False

This illustrative​ short-answer item was written for a​ third-grade class. The purpose is to help both the teacher and the students determine how well those students had achieved mastery of a recent​ state-approved language arts curriculum goal. Please write your answer legibly. ​_____________ is a good​ one-word description for​ commas, periods, question​ marks, and colons. Which one of the following statements most accurately describes the illustrative​ item?

For young students such as these third​ graders, direct questions should be used instead of incomplete statements—so the illustrative item violates an​ item-writing guideline for​ short-answer items.

Which of the following represents the most appropriate strategy by which to support the validity of​ score-based interpretations for specific​ uses?

Generation of an​ evidence-laden validity argument in support of a particular​ usage-specified score interpretation

A​ first-year classroom​ teacher, George​ Jenkins, has just finished preparing the initial set of three classroom tests he intends to use with his​ fifth-grade students early in the school year​ (one test each in​ mathematics, language​ arts, and social​ studies). In an effort to improve those​ tests, he has​ e-mailed a draft version of the three tests to his​ mother, who provided continuing support for George while he completed his​ teacher-education coursework as well as a​ semester-long student teaching experience. He asks his mother to suggest improvements that he might make in the​ early-version tests. Which of the following best describes​ George's effort to enhance the quality of his​ tests?

George could probably have secured better advice about his draft tests had he solicited it from his​ school's teachers and from his​ fifth-grade students before they took the tests​ "for real."

Flo​ Philips, a health education teacher in a large urban middle​ school, has recently begun analyzing her​ selected-response classroom tests using empirical data from​ students' current performances on those tests. She has acquired a simplified​ test-analysis program from her​ district's administrators and enjoys applying the program on her own laptop computer. She tries to base​ students' grades chiefly on their test scores and hopes to find that her items display​ item-discrimination indices below .20. A recent analysis of items from one of her major classroom tests indicated that three items were negative discriminators. Flo was elated. Please select the statement that most accurately describes​ Flo's test-improvement understanding.

Given​ Flo's use of​ students' test performances to assign​ grades, her understanding of​ item-discrimination indices is confused—​actually, her items should be yielding strong positive indices rather than low or negative indices.

A​ district's new​ computer-administered test of​ students' mastery of​ "composition conventions" has recently been used with their​ district's eleventh- and​ twelfth-grade students. To help judge the consistency with which the test measures​ students' knowledge of the assessed​ conventions, district officials have computed​ Cronbach's coefficient alpha for students who completed this​ brand-new exam. Which of the following kinds of reliability evidence do these alpha coefficients​ represent?

Internal consistency

An​ independent, for-profit measurement firm has recently published what the​ firm's promotional literature claims to be​ "an instructionally​ diagnostic" interim test in mathematics. Different forms of the new test are to be administered to students every two or three months. A​ student's results are reported as a​ total, all-encompassing score and also as five​ "strands" that are advertised as​ "distinctive and​ diagnostic." Your​ district's administrators are deciding whether to purchase copies of this new test. Which one of the following would be the most appropriate source of validity evidence for the newly published​ test?

Internal structure evidence

Please imagine that the reading specialists in a​ district's central office have developed what they have labeled a​ "diagnostic reading​ test." You think its​ so-called subscale scores are not diagnostic at all but are simply measuring a single overall dimension you believe to be​ "reading comprehension." In this​ setting, which of the following kinds of reliability evidence would supply the most relevant information related to your disagreement with the reading​ test's developers?

Internal-consistency reliability evidence

A​ high-school biology​ teacher, Nicholas, relies heavily on his​ students' test performances when he assigns grades to those students.​ Typically, he sends his​ selected-response classroom tests to the​ district's assessment director​ who, usually in 24​ hours, returns a set of item analyses to the teachers. These analyses usually contain an overall mean and a standard deviation for each​ class's test​ performances, as well as p​-values and​ item-discrimination indicators for every item in each test. Nicholas teaches four different biology​ classes, so four separate analyses are carried out at the district office. Nicholas is pleased that very few of his​ tests' items display exceptionally high or exceptionally low p​-values. ​Moreover, the vast majority of the items appear to have discrimination indices of a positive .25 or above. Three items have negative discrimination indices. After looking at the phrasing of those​ items, Nicholas sees how he should revise them to eliminate potentially confusing ambiguities. Please consider the four options​ below, then select the alternative that most accurately describes how Nicholas is dealing with the analyses of his biology tests.

Nicholas was appropriately pleased with the results of the​ district-conducted item​ analyses, and he made a sensible decision to revise the three negatively discriminating items.

This excerpt from a​ teacher's memo includes​ faculty-created rules for scoring their​ students' responses to essay items. The following rules for scoring​ students' responses to essay items were created last year by our faculty and were approved by a near unanimous vote of the faculty. Please review what those rules recommend prior to our taking this​ year's "confirmatory" faculty vote on these rules. RULES FOR SCORING RESPONSES TO ESSAY ITEMS When teachers in this school score their​ students' responses to essay​ items, those teachers should always​ (1) make a preliminary judgment about how much importance should be assigned to the conventions of​ writing, such as​ spelling, (2) decide whether to score holistically or​ analytically, (3) prepare a tentative scoring key prior to actually scoring​ students' responses,​ (4) try to score​ students' responses anonymously without knowing which student supplied which​ response, and​ (5) score a given​ student's responses to all essay items on a test and then move on to the next​ student's responses. Please select the most accurate assertion regarding these rules.

Only one of the​ faculty-approved rules is basically opposed to the Chapter 7 guidelines for scoring​ students' responses to essay items.

Measurement specialists assert that validation efforts are preoccupied with the degree to which we use​ students' test performances to support the accuracy of​ score-based inferences. Which of the following best identifies the focus of those​ inferences?

Students' unseen skills and knowledge

Which of the following strategies seems most suitable for teachers to use when trying to detect and eliminate assessment bias in their own​ teacher-made tests?

Teachers should pay particular attention to the possibility that assessment bias may have crept into their​ teacher-made tests and should strive to rely on their best judgments about the presence of such bias on all of their classroom tests—but especially on their most significant classroom assessments.

In certain Christian​ religions, there are gradients of sinful acts. For​ example, in the Roman Catholic​ Church, a venial sin need not be confessed to a​ priest, whereas a mortal sin must definitely be confessed. Based on a context clue contained in the paragraph​ above, which of the following statements is most​ accurate? a. For​ Catholics, there is no difference in the gravity or mortal or venial sins. b. For​ Catholics, a mortal sin is more serious than a venial sin. c. For​ Catholics, a venial sin is more serious than a mortal sin. d. Catholic priests are required to forgive all mortal sins that are confessed.

The assessment item appears to be biased in favor of students who are Roman Catholics.

Amy Johnson has a large collection of Barbie dolls.​ Originally, she had 49.​ Recently, she somehow lost 12 Barbies. How many Barbies does Amy have​ left? (Show your​ work.) a. 37 Barbies b. 61 Barbies c. 27 Barbies

The assessment might offend people who view girls as having much broader interests than playing with dolls.

This illustrative item is destined for use in a​ high-school speech course​ that, in recent​ weeks, has been focused on debate preparation. ​Directions: To conclude our unit on how to prepare successfully for a​ debate, please consider carefully the following​ preparation-focused topics. After doing​ so, choose one that you regard as most important—to you—and then write a 300-400word essay describing how best to prepare for whatever topic you chose. Be sure to identify which of the potential topics you have selected. You will have 40 minutes to prepare your essay. Potential Essay Topics Introducing your position and defending it Use of evidence during the body of the debate Preparing for your​ opponents' rebuttal Please choose the statement that most accurately reflects the illustrative​ item's congruence with Chapter​ 7's guidelines for writing essay items.

The illustrative item is structured in direct opposition to one of the​ chapter's guidelines for writing essay items.

Consider the following illustrative​ three-option multiple-choice item. An anonymously​ completed, self-report item regarding a​ student's values —anitem that has no clearly correct answer—is best suited for use in​ an: a. cognitive examination b. affective inventory c. psychomotor skills test Which of the following statements best characterizes the illustrative​ item?

The illustrative item violates a general​ item-writing guideline by providing a blatant grammatical clue to the correct answer.

This illustrative​ short-answer item was constructed for​ tenth-grade students. Following World War​ Two, an international organization intended to maintain world peace was​ established, namely, the United Nations.​ Similarly, after World War One a​ peace-oriented international organization was established. What was the name of that earlier​ organization? ​ _____________________ Which of the following statements best mirrors the degree to which the illustrative item is in accord with Chapter​ 7's guidelines for writing​ short-answer items?

The illustrative item violates none of the​ chapter's guidelines for writing​ short-answer items.

Which one of the following kinds of validity evidence represents a different category of evidence than the other three kinds of validity evidence​ identified? a. Convergent​ evidence, that​ is, positive relationships between test scores and other measures intended to measure the same or similar constructs b. Discriminant​ evidence, that​ is, positive relationships between test scores and other measures purportedly assessing different constructs c. Alignment evidence d.​ Test-criterion relationship evidence representing the degree to which a test score predicts a relevant variable that is operationally distinct from the test Which of the following statements best describes the illustrative​ item?

The illustrative item violates one of the​ chapter's general​ item-writing guidelines by presenting a blatant cue regarding which answer is correct.

Consider the following illustrative​ binary-choice item. For this next​ True/False item, indicate whether the​ item's statement is true or false by circling the T or F following the item. Validation is the joint responsibility of the test developer and the test​ user, but the accumulation of​ reliability/precision evidence is the exclusive responsibility of the test user.​ (Circle one: T or​ F) Which of the following statements best describes the illustrative​ item?

The illustrative​ True/False item violates one of the​ item-category guidelines by including two substantial concepts in a single item.

Here's an illustrative​ short-response item intended for use with​ ninth-graders in a​ high-school government​ course: Please accurately fill in the blanks you find in the statement given below regarding​ "How a bill becomes a​ law." In​ _______, _______ and​ _______ explored what ultimately became the​ _______ section of the northwestern United States with the assistance of a​ native-American guide known as​ _______. ​(Prod. These blank lines MUST be equal in​ length.) Select the most accurate of the following statements regarding this illustrative​ short-answer item.

The item satisfies the guideline regarding linear​ equality, yet violates the​ number-of-blanks guideline.

For following​ item, select the option that best illustrates the degree to which the item adheres to the​ chapter's general​ item-writing guidelines or the guidelines for specific categories of items. Note that following item deal with​ assessment-related content and thus might be regarded as a rudimentary form of​ "assessment enrichment." Consider whether the following​ binary-choice item adheres to the​ item-writing guidelines presented in the text. Presented below is a​ binary-choice item. Please indicate—by circling the R or W—whether the statement given in the item is right​ (R) or wrong ​(W). R or W​ Absence-of-bias determinations are typically made as a function of judgmental scrutiny​ and, when​ possible, empirical analysis. Which of the following statements best describes the illustrative​ item?

The item violates none of the​ chapter's guidelines, either the five general guidelines or the specific guidelines for​ binary-choice items.

Consider the following illustrative​ binary-choice item. Please consider the following​ binary-choice item and then indicate whether it is Accurate ​(A) or Inaccurate ​(I). A or I​ ___ If a teacher wishes to create assessments that truly tap​ students' mastery of higher order cognitive​ challenges, the teacher will not be working within the affective domain. Which of the following statements best describes the illustrative​ item?

The item violates the​ item-category guideline discouraging the use of negatives in such items.

Validity evidence can be collected from a number of sources.​ Suppose, for​ instance, that a mathematics test has been built by a school​ district's officials to help identify those​ middle-school students who are unlikely to pass a statewide​ eleventh-grade high-school diploma test. The new test will routinely be given to the​ district's seventh-grade students. To secure evidence supporting the validity of this kind of predictive​ application, the new test will be administered to current​ seventh-graders, and the​ seventh-grade tests will also be given to the​ district's current​ eleventh-graders. This will permit the​ eleventh-graders' two sets of test results to be compared. Which of the following best describes this source of validity​ evidence?

The relationship of​ eleventh-graders' performances on the two tests

In which one of the following four statements are all of the pronouns used​ properly? a. I truly enjoyed his telling of the joke. b. We watched him going to the coffee shop. c. We listened to them singing the once—​popular, but rarely heard song. d. Dad watched them joking about​ politicians-while approving of it all.

This assessment item does not appear to be biased.

This illustrative essay item was written for​ eleventh-grade students taking an English course. In the space provided in your test​ booklet, please compose a brief editorial​ (of 250 words or​ less) in favor of the school​ district's after-school tutorial program. The intended audience for your position statement consists of those people who routinely read this​ town's weekly newspaper. Because you will have the entire class period to complete this​ task, you may wish to write a draft editorial using the scratch paper provided so that you can then revise the draft before copying your final version into the test booklet. Your grade on this task will contribute 40 percent toward the grade for the​ Six-Week Persuasive Writing Unit. Which of the following statement best characterizes this​ item?

This illustrative item contains no serious violation of any of the​ chapter's guidelines for writing essay items.

Consider the following multiple​ binary-choice item with its four separate​ sub-items and then decide how well the item adhered to the​ chapter's item-writing guidelines. ​Directions: For each statement in the following cluster of four​ statements, please indicate whether the statement is true ​(T) or false ​(F) by circling the appropriateletter. In an elaborate effort to ascertain the reliability of a new​ high-stakes test developed in their​ district, central-office administrators have calculated the following types of evidence based on a tryout of the test with nearly​ 2,300 students: • Internal consistency r ​= .83 • Test-retest r ​= .78 • Standard error of measurement​ = 4.3 T or F ​(1) The three types of reliability evidence calculated by the​ central-office staff are essentially interchangeable. T or F ​(2) The trivial difference between the​ test-retest coefficient and the internal consistency coefficient constitutes no cause for alarm. T or F ​(3) The​ test-retest r should never be smaller than a​ test's internal consistency estimate of reliability. T or F ​(4) The standard error measurement​ (4.3 in this​ instance) is derived more from validity evidence than from reliability evidence. Choose the most accurate of the following statements regarding the illustrative multiple​ binary-choice item as a whole.

This illustrative item seems to violate none of the​ chapter's guidelines for constructing such​ items, that​ is, the general​ guidelines, the guidelines for multiple​ binary-choice guidelines, and the guidelines for​ binary-choice items.

Consider the following illustrative​ binary-choice item. It deals with a​ reliability/precision concept treated in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing ​(2014). ​Directions: Please indicate whether the statement below regarding the​ reliability/precision of educational tests is Accurate ​(Circle the​ A) or Inaccurate ​(Circle the​ I). A or I Because the standard error of measurement can be employed to generate confidence intervals around reported​ scores, it is typically more informative than a reliability coefficient. Which of the following statements best describes the illustrative​ item?

This illustrative​ binary-choice item violates none of the general or​ item-category guidelines for this type of​ selected-response item.

Consider the following illustrative​ five-option multiple-choice item. It addresses content presented in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing ​(2014) related to the fundamental notion of assessment validity. When we encounter a test whose scores are affected by processes that are quite extraneous to the​ test's intended​ purpose, we assert that the test displays which one of the​ following? a. Construct underrepresentation b. Construct deficiency c. Construct corruption d.​ Construct-irrelevant variance e. All of the above Which of the following statements best describes the illustrative​ item?

This illustrative​ item, because it includes an​ "all of the​ above" alternative, violates an important​ ite-writing guideline.

Please compose a short essay of 500 and​ 1,000 words on the​ topic: "Soccer Outside the United​ States." Either use one of our classroom computers or write the essay by hand. Be sure to engage in appropriate prewriting​ activities, draft an initial version of the​ essay, and then revise your draft at least once. You will have ninety minutes to complete this task.

This item seems to be biased in favor of children born outside the United​ States, many of whom may be more familiar with​ non-U.S. soccer than will children be who are born in the United States.

A considerable degree of disagreement can be found among educators regarding the precise meaning of the label​ "performance assessment."

True

A major challenge facing those teachers who personally employ performance tests is the difficulty of drawing valid inferences about​ students' generalized mastery of the​ skill(s) or bodies of knowledge being measured.

True

Although judgmental methods can be readily employed to identify a​ test's items that are apt to be instructionally​ insensitive, reliance on empirical methods of doing so requires large samples of students and teachers—aswell as the use of sophisticated statistical analyses.

True

Although the NAEP assessment frameworks​ are, technically, supposed to guide NAEP​ item-development and not function as curricular frameworks because of the​ long-standing U.S. tradition that the federal government​ shouldn't influence what is taught in​ state-governed public​ schools, teachers can still get good ideas about what to assess and how to assess it from the illustrative NAEP items that are available to the public. Question options:

True

Although​ students' results on standardized tests are reported frequently as scale​ scores, percentiles are more intuitively understandable for most people.

True

Although​ test-elicited evidence of​ students' learning can play a prominent role in the summative evaluation of​ teachers, and most commentators believe that it should do​ so, a number of other useful sources of​ teacher-evaluation exist.

True

Because a classroom​ test's influence on a​ teacher's instructional decision making is one of the most beneficial dividends of classroom​ assessment, a teacher should think through in advance how certain levels of student performances would influence a​ teacher's test-based instructional decisions—and then abandon or revise any tests that have no​ decision-impact linked to their results.

True

Because an excessive number of assessment targets in a​ teacher's classroom assessments can make it difficult to maintain an instructional focus on too many assessable​ outcomes, it is wiser for teachers to employ​ grain-sizes calling for a modest number of​ broad-scope assessment targets than adopt a large number of​small-scope assessment targets.

True

Because most items on traditionally standardized achievement tests must contribute to a sufficient amount of spread in​ test-takers' total test scores to permit​ fine-grained comparisons among those test​ takers, some items on​ today's accountability tests end up being closely linked to​ test-takers' innate academic aptitudes.

True

Because of such needs as how to grade this​ year's students or whether changes are needed in next​ year's instructional​ procedures, teachers should invariably link their planned classroom assessments explicitly to these sorts of decisions from the earliest moments a classroom test is being conceptualized.

True

Because of the manner in which certain of their items have been​ constructed, some commercially created nationally standardized achievement tests tend to​ measure, in​ part, the composition of a​ school's student body rather than the effectiveness with which those students have been taught.

True

Because of​ today's continuing advances in​ technology, it seems certain that creators of performance assessment will increasingly structure their​ computer-based assessments around a wide range of digitally simulated tasks.

True

Because recent years have seen both schools and teachers being evaluated on the basis of​ students' performances on​ high-stakes tests, such as a​ state's annual accountability​ tests, it becomes almost imperative for teachers to determine the degree to which​ what's measured by their classroom assessments can contribute to improved​ students' performances on such significant tests.

True

Because the curricular recommendations of national​ subject-matter associations typically represent the best curricular thinking of the most able​ subject-matter specialists in a given​ field, as teachers try to identify the​ knowledge, skills, and affect to measure in their own classroom​ assessments, the views of such national organizations can often provide helpful curricular insights.

True

Because​ task-specific rubrics are almost always more particularized in their expectations than are other kinds of​ rubrics, it is usually possible to score​ students' responses more quickly and more accurately using such rubrics than when using other kinds of rubrics.

True

Classroom observation systems can be developed and refined so that accurate and reliable observations of extremely able and extremely inept teachers can be​ made, but substantial difficulties arise when trying to base evaluative judgments on classroom observations of​ "middle-ability" teachers.

True

Collection of​ students' affective​ dispositions, by employing anonymously completed​ self-report inventories—prior to and following instruction—canmake a useful contribution to an​ evidence-based evaluation of a​ teacher's instructional success or a​ school's instructional success.

True

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Maria Flores Installs Portfolio Assessment Having decided to adopt a portfolio assessment approach for the​ written-composition segment of her​ middle-school English​ classes, Maria Flores introduces her students to the new assessment scheme by asking a commercial artist friend of hers to speak to each class. The artist brings his own portfolio and shows students how it allows prospective clients to judge his work. Ms. Flores tells her students that her​ friend's portfolio is called a​ "showcase portfolio" and that students will be preparing both a showcase portfolio to periodically involve their parents in reviewing a​ student's work​ products, as well as a​ "working portfolio" to keep track of all of their composition drafts and final products. Ms. Flores and her friend emphasize that both kinds of portfolios must be owned by the​ student, not the teacher. Early in the academic​ year, Ms. Flores works with each of her classes to decide collaboratively on the evaluative criteria to be used in the rubrics that will be used in a particular class for judging the composition efforts of a given class. Although these​ "per-class" rubrics occasionally differ in certain respects for different​ classes, they are generally quite similar. Students are directed to place all of their drafts and final versions in folders and then put those folders in a designated file drawer in the classroom. Ms. Flores makes sure to review all​ students' portfolios at least once a month.​ Typically, she devotes one preparation period a day to a different​class's portfolios. Because the portfolios are readily​ available, Ms. Flores finds it convenient and​ time-efficient to evaluate​ students' progress in this manner. She provides a brief​ (dated) "teacher's​ evaluation" for students to consider when they work with their own portfolios. At least twice every​ term, Ms. Flores selects what she considers to be the​ students' best finished compositions from their working portfolios. She places such work products in a showcase portfolio. Students are directed to take these showcase portfolios home to let their families see what kinds of compositions they have been creating. Parents are enthusiastic about this practice. A number of parents have told the​ school's principal that Ms.​ Flores's "take-home" portfolio system is the way they would like to see other aspects of their​ children's performances evaluated. Although Ms. Flores incorporated many fine features in her attempt to make portfolio assessment a success in her​ classes, she seriously overlooked activities intended to enhance​ students' self-evaluation abilities.

True

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Gary Owens Gives Portfolio Assessment a Try A​ third-grade teacher, Gary​ Owens, has just completed a summer​ professional-development workshop on portfolio assessment. He and a number of the teachers at his school have decided to try out performance assessment at least in limited parts of their instructional and assessment programs. Gary has decided to use portfolios with his​ third-graders' mathematics work for a full school year. He introduces students to the activity by stressing the importance of their personal ownership of the portfolios and the significance of their choosing the kinds of mathematics work they put in their portfolios. Gary suggests to the class that students include only​ problem-solution mathematics work in their portfolios.​ Thus, they should not put drill work and simple computational work in the portfolios. The students discuss this suggestion for a while and then unanimously agree. Early​ on, Gary works with students for two full days to decide on the evaluative criteria in the rubrics he and they will use when evaluating the mathematics work in the portfolios. They​ decide, collaboratively, that the major evaluative criteria will be​ (1) selection of proper solution​ strategies, (2) accurate completion of selected solution​ procedures, and​ (3) arrival at the correct solution to the problem. Students routinely collect their work and place it for safekeeping in specially marked cardboard boxes that Gary has arranged on the​ "Portfolio Shelf." Every two​ months, Gary holds an individual portfolio conference with each student during which he supplies the student with a​ "teacher's appraisal" of that​ student's portfolio work. It is clear to Gary that his​ students' ability to solve mathematics problems has improved substantially. Although it took most students several weeks to get used to the​ process, they now seem to thoroughly enjoy​ Gary's version of portfolio assessment in mathematics. He does also. Although​ Gary's approach to portfolio assessment has much to commend​ it, he failed to include two key ingredients for successful portfolio assessment.

True

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Gary Owens Gives Portfolio Assessment a Try A​ third-grade teacher, Gary​ Owens, has just completed a summer​ professional-development workshop on portfolio assessment. He and a number of the teachers at his school have decided to try out performance assessment at least in limited parts of their instructional and assessment programs. Gary has decided to use portfolios with his​ third-graders' mathematics work for a full school year. He introduces students to the activity by stressing the importance of their personal ownership of the portfolios and the significance of their choosing the kinds of mathematics work they put in their portfolios. Gary suggests to the class that students include only​ problem-solution mathematics work in their portfolios.​ Thus, they should not put drill work and simple computational work in the portfolios. The students discuss this suggestion for a while and then unanimously agree. Early​ on, Gary works with students for two full days to decide on the evaluative criteria in the rubrics he and they will use when evaluating the mathematics work in the portfolios. They​ decide, collaboratively, that the major evaluative criteria will be​ (1) selection of proper solution​ strategies, (2) accurate completion of selected solution​ procedures, and​ (3) arrival at the correct solution to the problem. Students routinely collect their work and place it for safekeeping in specially marked cardboard boxes that Gary has arranged on the​ "Portfolio Shelf." Every two​ months, Gary holds an individual portfolio conference with each student during which he supplies the student with a​ "teacher's appraisal" of that​ student's portfolio work. It is clear to Gary that his​ students' ability to solve mathematics problems has improved substantially. Although it took most students several weeks to get used to the​ process, they now seem to thoroughly enjoy​ Gary's version of portfolio assessment in mathematics. He does also. ​Gary's emphasis on the importance of​ students' personal ownership of their portfolios was given in a timely manner—at the outset of introducing students to portfolio assessment.

True

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Gary Owens Gives Portfolio Assessment a Try A​ third-grade teacher, Gary​ Owens, has just completed a summer​ professional-development workshop on portfolio assessment. He and a number of the teachers at his school have decided to try out performance assessment at least in limited parts of their instructional and assessment programs. Gary has decided to use portfolios with his​ third-graders' mathematics work for a full school year. He introduces students to the activity by stressing the importance of their personal ownership of the portfolios and the significance of their choosing the kinds of mathematics work they put in their portfolios. Gary suggests to the class that students include only​ problem-solution mathematics work in their portfolios.​ Thus, they should not put drill work and simple computational work in the portfolios. The students discuss this suggestion for a while and then unanimously agree. Early​ on, Gary works with students for two full days to decide on the evaluative criteria in the rubrics he and they will use when evaluating the mathematics work in the portfolios. They​ decide, collaboratively, that the major evaluative criteria will be​ (1) selection of proper solution​ strategies, (2) accurate completion of selected solution​ procedures, and​ (3) arrival at the correct solution to the problem. Students routinely collect their work and place it for safekeeping in specially marked cardboard boxes that Gary has arranged on the​ "Portfolio Shelf." Every two​ months, Gary holds an individual portfolio conference with each student during which he supplies the student with a​ "teacher's appraisal" of that​ student's portfolio work. It is clear to Gary that his​ students' ability to solve mathematics problems has improved substantially. Although it took most students several weeks to get used to the​ process, they now seem to thoroughly enjoy​ Gary's version of portfolio assessment in mathematics. He does also. ​Gary's failure to involve parents meaningfully in the portfolio assessment process represents a serious constraint on the learning dividends obtainable from portfolio assessment.

True

Consider each description of fictional teachers carrying out their implementations of portfolio​ assessment, then indicate whether item following that description is True or False. Maria Flores Installs Portfolio Assessment Having decided to adopt a portfolio assessment approach for the​ written-composition segment of her​ middle-school English​ classes, Maria Flores introduces her students to the new assessment scheme by asking a commercial artist friend of hers to speak to each class. The artist brings his own portfolio and shows students how it allows prospective clients to judge his work. Ms. Flores tells her students that her​ friend's portfolio is called a​ "showcase portfolio" and that students will be preparing both a showcase portfolio to periodically involve their parents in reviewing a​ student's work​ products, as well as a​ "working portfolio" to keep track of all of their composition drafts and final products. Ms. Flores and her friend emphasize that both kinds of portfolios must be owned by the​ student, not the teacher. Early in the academic​ year, Ms. Flores works with each of her classes to decide collaboratively on the evaluative criteria to be used in the rubrics that will be used in a particular class for judging the composition efforts of a given class. Although these​ "per-class" rubrics occasionally differ in certain respects for different​ classes, they are generally quite similar. Students are directed to place all of their drafts and final versions in folders and then put those folders in a designated file drawer in the classroom. Ms. Flores makes sure to review all​ students' portfolios at least once a month.​ Typically, she devotes one preparation period a day to a different​class's portfolios. Because the portfolios are readily​ available, Ms. Flores finds it convenient and​ time-efficient to evaluate​ students' progress in this manner. She provides a brief​ (dated) "teacher's​ evaluation" for students to consider when they work with their own portfolios. At least twice every​ term, Ms. Flores selects what she considers to be the​ students' best finished compositions from their working portfolios. She places such work products in a showcase portfolio. Students are directed to take these showcase portfolios home to let their families see what kinds of compositions they have been creating. Parents are enthusiastic about this practice. A number of parents have told the​ school's principal that Ms.​ Flores's "take-home" portfolio system is the way they would like to see other aspects of their​ children's performances evaluated. Ms.​ Flores's major omission in her implementation of portfolio assessment is her failure to engage her students in​ one-on-one portfolio conferences during the school year.

True

Darrell Ito teaches English in a suburban middle school and has been intrigued by his​ principal's strong advocacy of formative assessment. He has read several articles about formative assessment and borrowed a book from his​ school's professional-development library dealing solely with how a teacher launches a​formative-assessment program. Based on what he has​ read, Darrell decides not to use formative assessment when his students are learning how to create original compositions​ but, rather, when pursuing any curricular aims involving​ "Writer's Rules," such as punctuation​ rules, spelling​ rules, and usage conventions.​ Moreover, he decides to rely almost exclusively on​ students' self-reported​ understandings, that​ is, their use of​ red, green, and yellow plastic cups to indicate the degree to which they are​ "getting it" as the class proceeds. Every few​ weeks, based on his analysis of the sequence of rules his students must master​ (part of what he calls a​ "learning progression"), Darrell orally presents a set of three or four​ "Writer's Rules" to his students. After each rule has been​ presented, Darrell​ says, "Traffic-signal​ colors, class!" At that​ point, students put a green cup on top of their​ cup-stack to indicate that they understand the presented rule well. Students put a yellow cup on top of their stack if they are unsure about their understanding of the rule just given.​ And, of​ course, the red cup goes on top of the stack if a student really is baffled by the particular rule that Darrell has described. As​ students' cup stacks are being​ rearranged, Darrell visually surveys the stacks to determine which colors predominate. Because formative assessment calls for an obligatory instructional adjustment based on​ assessment-elicited evidence, Darrell provides additional instruction regarding each rule—but tries to make the adjusted instruction quite different from the way he taught the rule earlier. The greater the prevalence of yellow or red​ cups, the more instructional time Darrell devotes to what he calls his​ "second stab" at​ rule-teaching. Based on several months of​ Darrell's attempt to implement formative assessment in his English​ classes, almost all students are pleased with the approach. So is Darrell. Although other techniques exist for securing​ assessment-elicited evidence of​ students' status,​ Darrell's reliance on​ students' self-reported levels of understanding was consistent with an acceptable implementation of formative assessment.

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. Most teachers want their​ students, at the close of an instructional​ period, to exhibit​ subject-approaching tendencies​ (that is, an interest in the subject being​ taught) equal to or greater than the​ subject-approaching tendencies those students displayed at the beginning of instruction.

True

Darrell Ito teaches English in a suburban middle school and has been intrigued by his​ principal's strong advocacy of formative assessment. He has read several articles about formative assessment and borrowed a book from his​ school's professional-development library dealing solely with how a teacher launches a​formative-assessment program. Based on what he has​ read, Darrell decides not to use formative assessment when his students are learning how to create original compositions​ but, rather, when pursuing any curricular aims involving​ "Writer's Rules," such as punctuation​ rules, spelling​ rules, and usage conventions.​ Moreover, he decides to rely almost exclusively on​ students' self-reported​ understandings, that​ is, their use of​ red, green, and yellow plastic cups to indicate the degree to which they are​ "getting it" as the class proceeds. Every few​ weeks, based on his analysis of the sequence of rules his students must master​ (part of what he calls a​ "learning progression"), Darrell orally presents a set of three or four​ "Writer's Rules" to his students. After each rule has been​ presented, Darrell​ says, "Traffic-signal​ colors, class!" At that​ point, students put a green cup on top of their​ cup-stack to indicate that they understand the presented rule well. Students put a yellow cup on top of their stack if they are unsure about their understanding of the rule just given.​ And, of​ course, the red cup goes on top of the stack if a student really is baffled by the particular rule that Darrell has described. As​ students' cup stacks are being​ rearranged, Darrell visually surveys the stacks to determine which colors predominate. Because formative assessment calls for an obligatory instructional adjustment based on​ assessment-elicited evidence, Darrell provides additional instruction regarding each rule—but tries to make the adjusted instruction quite different from the way he taught the rule earlier. The greater the prevalence of yellow or red​ cups, the more instructional time Darrell devotes to what he calls his​ "second stab" at​ rule-teaching. Based on several months of​ Darrell's attempt to implement formative assessment in his English​ classes, almost all students are pleased with the approach. So is Darrell. Because​ assessment-informed adjustments of a​ teacher's instruction are not obligatory during the​ formative-assessment process, Darrell need not have supplied additional instruction adjustments for all of the​ Writer's Rules.

True

Emily Contreras teaches​ "Modern Spanish" in a large suburban high school whose Latino students constitute less than 10 percent of the student body. Sensing the approach of substantial demographic changes in the United​ States, she wants to make certain that many more of her​ school's non-Latino students have at least a modicum of​ Spanish-speaking skills. Because Emily has a solid belief in the value of​ assessment-illuminated instruction and especially the merits of formative​ assessment, she was particularly pleased last year to see that a commercial test organization had published a set of new​ "formative assessments in Spanish designed for students at all levels of ​Spanish-speaking proficiency." Emily persuaded her​ school's principal, in collaboration with principals from several other district high​ schools, to purchase sufficient copies of these new tests to be used in the manner the​ tests' publisher specifies. The​ tests, according to their​ publisher, are to be administered four times a year—at the beginning of the school​ year, at its​ conclusion, and at two separate times during the middle three months of the school year. In this​ way, the publisher​ asserts, "the​ tests' formative​ dividends" will be maximized for both teachers and students alike. The new tests are described by their developers as​ "consistent with findings of the widely accepted Black and Wiliam research review of​ 1998" and can also function as excellent predictors of​ high-school students' subsequent college accomplishments if they take additional courses in Spanish. Emily is simply delighted that these new assessments in​ Spanish, previously unavailable wherever she has been​ teaching, can be used in her classes. The​ publisher's statement that the tests are​ "consistent" with the conclusions of the Black and Wiliam 1998 research review does not automatically guarantee that such consistency​ is, in​ fact, present.

True

First developed by the College Board to function as an admission exam for elite Northeastern​ universities, the SAT has had its items replenished by the Educational Testing Service since 1947

True

For the past several years Nguyen Nguyen has taught French in a suburban high school. Because of his Vietnamese background and the longtime involvement of France in a nation that used to be called French​ Indochina, Nguyen's French accent is excellent. People often remark that he sounds as though he had spent his entire life in Paris. This is his fourth year of highly acclaimed teaching in this school. When Nguyen reviewed his​ state's specified instructional outcomes for​ secondary-level French​ courses, and for language courses in​ general, he was dismayed to discover that most of the official outcomes centered on written French rather than spoken French. Because the​ state's language teachers are given a certain degree of latitude in assigning grading weights to the​ state's prescribed instructional​ objectives, Nguyen takes advantage of this flexibility by basing 80 percent of the grade for each student on the degree to which they have achieved mastery of the course objectives reflecting speaking and listening French fluency. Nguyen explains his grading plans to students​ and, via a​ take-home note, to their parents early in the school year. Although a few parents carp about the heavy stress on spoken​ French, most agree with​ Nguyen's grading plans. Is Nguyen a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

True

If a distribution of standardized test scores were particularly​ heterogeneous, it would have a larger standard deviation than if it were particularly homogeneous.

True

If an elementary teacher has designed his instructional system so it centers on the use of​ "catch-up" and​ "enrichment" learning centers​ where, based on​ classroom-assessment performances, students​ self-assign themselves to one of these​ centers, an​ early-on factor to consider is whether the classroom assessments should yield​ norm-referenced or​ criterion-referenced inferences.

True

If appropriately conceived and​ implemented, performance assessment can contribute substantially not only to improving a​ teacher's instructional effectiveness but also to increasing the quality of​ students' learning.

True

If a​ teacher's students are annually supposed to master an officially approved set of state curricular​ standards, and a state accountability test aligned with those standards is given each​ year, teachers should surely try to make sure that what their classroom tests measure is congruent —or contributory to—​what's assessed by such state accountability tests.

True

If the performances of a large group of students on a standardized test are arrayed in a relatively normal​ manner, then approximately​ two-thirds of the​ students' scores will be located within​ plus-or-minus one standard deviation from the​ group's mean score.

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. Multifocus​ self-report affective inventories typically contain far fewer items related to each affective variable being measured than do traditional Likert inventories.

True

When ACT tests are​ revised, content suggestions are routinely solicited from large samples of secondary school teachers and curriculum​ specialists, as well as from college professors in the subject areas to be assessed.

True

In her​ fourth-grade class, Belinda Avery has recently tried to rely heavily on the​ formative-assessment process in pursuing the language arts curricular aims identified by her​ state's department of education as​ "Mandatory Language Arts​ Expectancies." In​ all, there are 13 such expectancies that her students are supposed to​master, eight in reading and five in writing. For each of these 13​ expectancies, Belinda has identified either one or two​ "building ​blocks"—​namely, subskills or bodies of enabling knowledge that she believes students must master en route to their achievement of whatever specific expectancy is involved. Belinda weights the importance of each of the building blocks as a contributor to​ students' mastery of the​ expectancy, then bases her​ during-the-year grades on​ students' mastery of the most heavily weighted building blocks. When the school year is nearing its​ conclusion, however, Belinda plans to measure her​ students' mastery of each of the 13 expectancies directly and to grade students on their expectancy attainment. During the bulk of the school​ year, however, she is only assessing​ students' building-block learning for purposes of improving​learning, not evaluating students. Is Belinda a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

True

In recognition of how much time it typically takes for teachers to score​ students' responses to​ constructed-response items, especially those items calling for extended​ responses, an early factor for a teacher to consider when creating a classroom assessment is whether the teacher has sufficient time to properly score​ students' responses to a test containing​ constructed-response items. Question options:

True

In the Midwest state where Sarah Ortiz teaches third​ graders, the​ state's school board has officially endorsed an exceedingly large number of​ "learning objectives." Because Sarah wants to organize her instruction and grading practices around a set of intended curricular outcomes and because she believes the​ state's learning objectives are too​ numerous, she decides to prioritize those objectives by focusing only on a​ half-dozen of the most important ones. Her school​ district's report cards call only for an​ "overall achievement" grade​ (not broken down by particular​ objectives), so Sarah informs all of her students—andtheir parents—about which objectives she will be using as the chief targets for her instruction and for her grading. A description of each of those six​ objectives, along with two sample items that might be used on a test assessing​ student's achievement of that​ objective, is sent home with each student at the start of the school year. Sarah then grades her​ students, using evidence from formal and informal​ assessments, according to how well she believes a student has mastered the six objectives. Although the students and parents seem to appreciate the way Sarah is grading her​ students, several teachers in her school chide her for dealing with only six objectives out of a​ state-approved set of 34​ third-grade objectives. Is Sarah a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

True

In the school district where Harry Harper teaches​ middle-school science, a number of recent demographic changes have occurred so that most schools now serve very divergent groups of students. In his own​ classes, Harry finds that roughly half of his students come from schools with excellent instructional programs and half have come from schools where instruction has been less than stellar. His​ students' entry-level​ achievement, therefore, varies enormously. When Harry communicates about grades to parents and students during the midyear and​ end-of-year grading conferences in which students take​ part, he makes no grading allowances for differences in​ students' prior instruction. The only factor Harry​ uses, as he presents his midyear and​ end-of-year grades during these​ conferences, is the degree to which each student has accomplished the curricular goals identified by​ Harry's district for​ middle-school science courses. Is Harry a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

True

It is often remarkably helpful for teachers to ask their coworkers to review the potential emphases of underdevelopment classroom assessments because teachers and​ administrators, especially those who are familiar with​ what's being taught and the sorts of students to whom it is​ taught, can provide useful insights regarding what should be assessed—and what​ shouldn't. Question options:

True

James Jackson teaches third graders in an​ inner-city elementary school. He has been a faculty member at the school for two​ years, having taught the third grade at a rural school for five years before that. Because he is dismayed with the skills of his​ students, especially in​ mathematics, he has decided to implement a​formative-assessment strategy—in math only—for his students. He understands that formative assessment will generally be more successful if it focuses attention on only a modest number of​ higher-order mathematics skills rather than on a large number of less important subskills and bodies of knowledge that​ third-grade children should master.​ Accordingly, he identifies six truly challenging mathematics skills and splits the school year into six separate​ skill-promotion units of at least six​ weeks' duration aimed at each of the six target skills. For each of the six​ units, he then identifies a learning progression identifying no more than four​ "building blocks," that​ is, subskills or bodies of knowledge James regards as precursive to​ students' attainment of the mathematics skill being promoted in each unit. These learning progressions serve as a sort of​ "instructional map" intended to guide James with his teaching. As students near the close of each building​ block, James uses a variety of​ selected-response tests to measure his​ students' mastery of the subskill or knowledge embodied in that particular building block.​ Then, for any building block with which many students are having​ difficulty, he provides additional and sometimes dramatically different instruction dealing with what the building block measured. James believes his approach to formative assessment seems to be working. Although the particular manner in which James employed formative assessment in his classroom seems​ sensible, research evidence suggests that a variety of other​ formative-assessment implementation strategies will also yield improved learning for students.

True

James Jackson teaches third graders in an​ inner-city elementary school. He has been a faculty member at the school for two​ years, having taught the third grade at a rural school for five years before that. Because he is dismayed with the skills of his​ students, especially in​ mathematics, he has decided to implement a​formative-assessment strategy—in math only—for his students. He understands that formative assessment will generally be more successful if it focuses attention on only a modest number of​ higher-order mathematics skills rather than on a large number of less important subskills and bodies of knowledge that​ third-grade children should master.​ Accordingly, he identifies six truly challenging mathematics skills and splits the school year into six separate​ skill-promotion units of at least six​ weeks' duration aimed at each of the six target skills. For each of the six​ units, he then identifies a learning progression identifying no more than four​ "building blocks," that​ is, subskills or bodies of knowledge James regards as precursive to​ students' attainment of the mathematics skill being promoted in each unit. These learning progressions serve as a sort of​ "instructional map" intended to guide James with his teaching. As students near the close of each building​ block, James uses a variety of​ selected-response tests to measure his​ students' mastery of the subskill or knowledge embodied in that particular building block.​ Then, for any building block with which many students are having​ difficulty, he provides additional and sometimes dramatically different instruction dealing with what the building block measured. James believes his approach to formative assessment seems to be working. ​James' reliance on the learning progression he devised to assess his​ students' mastery of the building​ blocks, that​ is, bodies of enabling knowledge and cognitive​ subskills, represents a common way of implementing a​ formative-assessment strategy in classrooms such as his.

True

When describing the performance of a group of students on a standardized​ test, the most commonly accepted index of variability is the standard deviation.

True

Jethro Jones teaches​ high-school English classes and has been directed by his​ school's principal to make​ students' achievement of the​ state's recently authorized Language​ Arts/English learning goals the heart of his​ grade-giving system. Jethro first sorts out the​ "measurable" learning goals for which he is responsible in his classes​ (a few of the goals​ aren't measurable). Then he makes sure that he has one​ or, preferably, two assessments or​ student-conducted projects that relate to each goal. These assessments or student projects are administered throughout the school year. When grading time​ comes, twice per​ year, Jethro compiles the evidence of​ goal-achievement for each​ student, then awards a grade based on each​ student's evidence related to a particular goal.​ Jethro, of​ course, must coalesce these​ per-goal grades into a more​ general, overall grade. He does this​ privately, then translates the complete array of​ per-goal evidence into semester and​ full-year grades for his students. Because Jethro is quite attentive to​ students' attitudinal dispositions toward​ English, he supplies students and their parents with a separate report form dealing with such variables as​ student's effort,​ attendance, class​ participation, etc. Is Jethro a​ GGAG? (TRUE or​ FALSE)

True

Many users of the kinds of scoring rubrics employed to evaluate​ students' performance-test responses agree that the most significant feature of such rubrics is its set of evaluative criteria.

True

Melinda Stevens is teaching​ fifth-graders in a rather rural elementary​ school, and she has done so in the same school ever since she completed her​ teacher-education program at a nearby state university. This is her fourth year at the​ school, and she desperately wants to become a more effective teacher. She has been reading several articles about formative assessment and has decided to​ "give it a​ twirl" this year.​ She'll determine how well formative assessment is working for her once the school year is over. Melinda plans to use formative assessment only in connection with her mathematics and language arts curricular goals. She can expand its use to other curricular areas if she concludes that its measurement orientation functions as an effective instructional adjunct. Although most of the articles​ she's been reading urge that formative assessment be used by both teachers and​ students, Melinda decides to keep her students out of the​ formative-assessment process for the first year so that she can become more comfortable with how she should personally use this approach. She starts off the year by giving her students an extensive​ pretest, using both​ selected-response items and​ constructed-response items, so that she can ascertain what her​ fifth-graders know and​ don't know. The pretest takes almost two hours for most students to​ complete, so Melinda breaks the pretesting into four​ half-hour segments given on adjacent days of the week. Based on her​ students' performances on the​ four-part pretest, Melinda adjusts the math and language arts curricular goals so that she can include only those curricular targets that students should definitely master but currently have not mastered. This extensive pretest helps Melinda select suitable goals for her​ fifth-graders, and she also picks up some useful insights regarding​ students' current skills and knowledge in both mathematics and in language arts. As the school year​ unfolds, Melinda administers​ shorter, more focused pretests at the beginning of any instructional unit destined to last more than three weeks. She typically uses the results of these​ pre-instruction tests to help her decide whether to retain or discard the potential​ instructional-unit goals she has tentatively chosen for her students. Because Melinda chooses to preclude her students from taking part in​ along-the-way classroom assessment during the school​ year, there is little likelihood that genuine formative assessment could ever transpire in her​ fifth-grade class.

True

Melinda Stevens is teaching​ fifth-graders in a rather rural elementary​ school, and she has done so in the same school ever since she completed her​ teacher-education program at a nearby state university. This is her fourth year at the​ school, and she desperately wants to become a more effective teacher. She has been reading several articles about formative assessment and has decided to​ "give it a​ twirl" this year.​ She'll determine how well formative assessment is working for her once the school year is over. Melinda plans to use formative assessment only in connection with her mathematics and language arts curricular goals. She can expand its use to other curricular areas if she concludes that its measurement orientation functions as an effective instructional adjunct. Although most of the articles​ she's been reading urge that formative assessment be used by both teachers and​ students, Melinda decides to keep her students out of the​ formative-assessment process for the first year so that she can become more comfortable with how she should personally use this approach. She starts off the year by giving her students an extensive​ pretest, using both​ selected-response items and​ constructed-response items, so that she can ascertain what her​ fifth-graders know and​ don't know. The pretest takes almost two hours for most students to​ complete, so Melinda breaks the pretesting into four​ half-hour segments given on adjacent days of the week. Based on her​ students' performances on the​ four-part pretest, Melinda adjusts the math and language arts curricular goals so that she can include only those curricular targets that students should definitely master but currently have not mastered. This extensive pretest helps Melinda select suitable goals for her​ fifth-graders, and she also picks up some useful insights regarding​ students' current skills and knowledge in both mathematics and in language arts. As the school year​ unfolds, Melinda administers​ shorter, more focused pretests at the beginning of any instructional unit destined to last more than three weeks. She typically uses the results of these​ pre-instruction tests to help her decide whether to retain or discard the potential​ instructional-unit goals she has tentatively chosen for her students. ​Melinda's use of extensive​ pre-instruction assessment was probably helpful to her at the start of the school year and also as the school year​ progressed, but she was not using the​ formative-assessment process.

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. A substantial number of educators regard affective curricular aims as being equal in importance to cognitive curricular aims—​or, possibly, of even greater importance

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. For an affective​ self-report inventory, very young students can be asked to reply to simple statements—sometimes presented orally—by the use of only two or three​ agreement-options per statement.

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. Generally​ speaking, teachers can make defensible decisions about the impact of affectively oriented instruction by arriving at​ group-focused inferences regarding their​ students' affective status prior to and following that instruction.

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. One of the more difficult decisions to be faced when constructing a multifocus​ self-report affective inventory is arriving at a response to the following​ question: How many items are needed for each affective variable being​ measured?

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. When teachers administer an affective assessment to their students early in an instructional program and intend to administer the same or a similar assessment to their students​ later, the assessments often have a substantial impact on the​ teacher's instruction.

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. Whenever​ self-report inventories are employed to measure​ students' affective​ dispositions, students' perceptions that their responses are anonymous are typically far more important than is​ "actual" anonymity.

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. Whereas most cognitively oriented classroom assessments attempt to measure​ students' optimal​ performances, affectively oriented classroom assessments attempt to get an accurate fix on​ students' typical dispositions.

True

Note that this Mastery Check was specifically designed both to provide evidence regarding your outcome mastery and to fulfill a diagnostic function. It addresses four​ topics: ​(1) the relationship between affective assessment relationship and instruction​ (Items 1,​ 5, 9,​ 13, and​ 17), ​(2) ​self-report inventories​ (Items 2,​ 6, 10,​ 14, and​ 18), ​(3) ​respondents' anonymity​ (Items 3,​ 7, 11,​ 15, and​ 19), and ​(4) how to interpret results of affective assessment​ (Items 4,​ 8, 12,​ 16, and​ 20). ​Thus, you can determine how well you seem to understand each of the four topics by focusing on how you performed on the five items for that topic. ​Students' affect is most often measured in school because evidence of​ students' affect is believed to help predict how students are apt to behave in particular ways later—when those​ students' educations have been concluded.

True

One of the best ways to minimize halo effect—and its negative impact on scoring accuracy—is to employ analytic scoring and then implore​ rubric-users to render separate judgments for each evaluative criterion.

True

One of the most useful ways of determining the instructional dividends of a standardized achievement test is to analyze the manner in which​ students' performances are reported to the various user​ groups, for​ instance, educators,​ parents, and policymakers.

True

One of the shortcomings of the range as an indicator of the variability in a set of​ students' test scores is that it is derived from only two raw scores.

True

One​ clear-cut dividend of using​ item-response theory's scale scores when reporting​ students' performances on standardized tests is that this type of scale score allows for the statistical equating of test forms with dissimilar difficulty levels.

True

Significant factors in determining the quality of a diagnostic test are the​ following: curricular​ alignment, sufficiency of​items, quality of​ items, and ease of usage.

True

Standardized​ tests, whether focused on achievement or​ aptitude, are assessment instruments​ administered, scored, and interpreted in a​ standard, predetermined manner.

True

Teachers will find that their classroom assessments are most useful when a​ teacher's earliest thinking about the nature of such assessments is explicitly intended to contribute to an upcoming educational decision to be made by the teacher.

True

The​ split-and-switch design, if used to collect​ pretest-to-posttest evidence based on​ students' test​ scores, is most appropriate when used with a relatively large​ class, for​ instance, a class containing 25 or more students.

True

To avoid the excessive​ time-consumption often associated with performance​ assessment, it is helpful for teachers to focus their performance tests on measuring only a modest number of particularly significant skills.

True

When scoring​ students' responses to performance​ tests, the three common sources of errors contributing to invalid inferences are the scoring​ scale, the scorers​ themselves, and the procedures by which scorers employ the scoring scale.

True

When teachers employ​ skill-focused rubrics to evaluate​ students' responses to performance​ tests, it is useful—both evaluatively and instructionally—tobriefly label each of a​ rubric's evaluative criteria.

True

Whenever​ possible, the following evaluative criteria should be employed when teachers select​ performance-test tasks:​ generalizability, authenticity, multiple​ foci, teachability,​ fairness, feasibility, and scorability.

True

​America's long-standing preoccupation with using tests to arrive at comparative score interpretations was heavily influenced by the considerable success of the Army​ Alpha, a World War I​ group-administered aptitude test intended to identify Army recruits who would be successful in the​ Army's officer-training programs.

True

A district chooses a commercial test to provide information about the social studies skills and knowledge that the students seem to be having difficulty in mastering. A relatively elaborate series of​ "alignment" studies will be carried out early in the school year in an attempt to provide validity evidence to confirm this instructionally supportive usage. On which of the following sources of validity evidence is it most likely those who are supervising these alignment studies will​ rely?

Validity evidence based on test content

Webb's alignment procedures have become increasingly popular among American educators. Which one of the following statements is an accurate assertion regarding this widely used procedure for gauging the degree to which a​ test's items are representatively reflective of a set of curricular​ aims?

Webb's alignment procedure​ is, at​ bottom, a judgmentally based validation procedure centered on the appropriateness of test content.

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. Because she is eager for her students to perform well on their​ twelfth-grade senior mathematics tests​(administered by the state department of​ education), Mrs. Williamson gives students answer keys for all of the​test's selected-response items. When her students take the test in the school​ auditorium, along with all of the​school's other​ twelfth-graders, she urges them to use the answer keys​ discreetly, and only if necessary. Mrs.​ Williamson's activities​ constitute:

a violation of both guidelines

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. Christi​ Jones, a​ third-grade teacher, was asked by officials of her state department of education two years ago to serve as a member of a​ "Bias Review​ Committee" whose task was to consider whether a set of​ not-yet-final items being prepared for the​ state's annual accountability tests contained any assessment bias that would preclude their use. Even though Christi realized that her​ committee's item-by-item reviews would not be the only factor determining whether such underdeveloped items would actually be used on the​ state-administered accountability​tests, she was convinced that many of the items she had reviewed would end up on those tests. ​Accordingly, based on the informal notes she had taken during a​ two-day meeting of the Bias Review​ Committee, she always makes certain to give her own​ third-grade students plenty of guided and independent practice in responding to items similar to those she had reviewed. Christi generates these practice items​ herself, always trying to make her practice items resemble the specific details of the items she reviewed. Because a new​ teacher-evaluation system in her district calls for the inclusion of state test scores of each​teacher's students, Christi was pleased to see that her own​ third-graders scored well on this​ year's state tests. ​Christi's activities​ constitute:

a violation of both guidelines

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. The district school board where Todd Blanding teaches high school chemistry has developed a​ teacher-evaluation process in which fully 40 to 60 percent of a​ teacher's overall annual evaluation must be based on​ "measures of student​ growth." Moreover, because not all of the​ district's teachers instruct students who are required to complete an external achievement​ test, the board has stipulated that​ "up to 100 percent of a​ teacher's student-growth evidence​ (40 to 60​ percent) can be based on​ before-instruction and​ after-instruction classroom​ assessments." Todd and the other teachers in his high school realize how important it is for their students to score well on classroom​ tests, particularly any tests being used to collect evidence of​ pre-instruction to​ post-instruction growth. ​Accordingly, each month the high​ school's staff participates in​ content-alike learning communities so they can explore together suitable​ test-preparation alternatives. Based on these monthly​ explorations, Todd has developed a​pretest-to-posttest instructional approach whereby he never provides​ "item-specific instruction" for more than half of the items he intends to use for any upcoming posttest.​ ("Item-specific instruction explicitly explores the nuances of a particular​ item.) Because at least half of the items on an instructional​ unit's posttest will not have been discussed in class prior to the​ posttest, Todd is confident that he can base valid interpretations about​ students' growth from their​pretest-to-posttest performances. Todd's activities constitute:

a violation of both guidelines

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. Consuela Sanchez realizes that many of her fourth graders are relatively recent arrivals in the United​ States, having come from Mexico and Central America. Most of her students speak English as a second language and possess limited experience in taking the kinds of standardized tests used so frequently these days in U.S. schools.​ Accordingly, Consuela has located a number of​ English-language standardized tests for her​ fourth-grade students, and she has photocopied segments of the tests so the introductory pages will be available to all of her students. Once every few​ weeks, Consuela asks her​ fourth-graders to spend classroom instructional time​ trying, as she​ says, to​ "make sense" out of these tests. About 20 minutes is devoted to​ students' reading the​ tests' directions and then determining if they can understand specifically how they are to complete each of the standardized tests. She makes no copies of any items other than those used in a​ test's directions. Consuela tells her​ students, "If you understand exactly what you are to do with a​ test, you will almost always do better on that​test." Students seem to regard these occasional exercises​ positively, thinking of​ Consuela's test analyses as something akin to solving a detective mystery model. ​Consuela's activities​ constitute:

a violation of neither guideline

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. Mr. Thompkin teaches mathematics in an urban middle school serving many students from​ lower-income families. Although Mr. Thompkin personally finds his​ district's heavy emphasis on educational testing to be​ excessive, he concedes that his students will benefit from scoring well on the many math tests he is obliged to administer during a school year. Because most of his students cannot afford to enroll in the commercial​ test-preparation programs that are available throughout his​ city, Mr. Thompkin entices a psychologist friend of his—a friend who is particularly knowledgeable about​ test-taking skills—to visit all of his courses one day during the first month of school. The psychologist explains to students not only how to take tests successfully but also how to prepare in advance for any​ high-stakes testing situations. Mr. Thompkin believes one class period per year​ that's focused on​test-taking rather than learning mathematics is a decent​ trade-off for his students. Mr.​ Thompkin's activities​ constitute:

a violation of neither guideline

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. Mrs. Hilliard knows the reading test administered to all state eighth graders contains a set of five fairly lengthy reading​ selections, each of which is followed by about eight​ multiple-choice items dealing with such topics as​ (1) the main idea of the selection or the main idea of its constituent​ paragraphs, (2) the meaning of technical terms that can be inferred from contextual​ clues, and​ (3) the defensibility of​ post-reading inferential statements linked to the selection. Mrs. Hilliard routinely spends time in her​ eighth-grade language arts class trying to improve her​ students' reading comprehension capabilities. She has the students read passages similar to those used in the statewide​ test, then gives her students a variety of practice​ tests, including written​ multiple-choice, true-false, and oral​ short-answer tests in​ which, for​ example, individual students must state aloud what they believe to be the main idea of a specific paragraph in the passage. Mrs.​ Hilliard's activities​ constitute:

a violation of neither guideline

Fred Phillips prepares his​ sixth-grade social studies students to do well on a​ state-administered social studies examination by having all of his students take part in practice exercises using test items similar to those found on the state examination. Fred tries to replicate the nature of the state​ examination's items without ever using exactly the same content as it is apt to appear on the examination. He weaves his​ test-preparation activities into his regular social studies instruction so cleverly that most students really​ don't know they are receiving​ examination-related preparation. Fred​ Phillips' activities​ constitute:

a violation of the educational defensibility guideline

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. Srijati is eager to have her​ fourth-grade students become better​ "close readers," that​ is, to be better able to read written materials carefully so that they are capable​ of, as Srijati​ says, "sucking all of the meaning out of what they​read." Because of reductions in assessment​ funds, however,​ Srijati's school district has been obliged to eliminate all​ constructed-response items assessing​ students' reading comprehension. All items measuring​ students' reading​comprehension, therefore, must be​ selected-response types of items​ and, beyond​ that, district officials have indicated that only three specific item types will be used in​ district-developed reading tests. One type asks students to read a brief passage and then select from four alternatives the​ passage's main idea. Two of the​wrong-answer alternatives in these​ "choose the main​ idea" items must always be completely unrelated to the passage itself. The remaining​ wrong-answer alternative must be a reversal of the actual main idea. The other two kinds of​ district-stipulated types of acceptable items are equally constrained in their structures. So that her students will perform optimally on the​ district-developed reading​ tests, Srijati provides​ "close-reading practice" based exclusively on the three​ district-approved ways for students to display their reading comprehension.​ Srijati's fourth-graders really shine when it is time to take the district reading tests. ​Srijati's activities​ constitute:

a violation of the educational defensibility guideline

Please read the descriptions of fictitious teachers prepping students for upcoming​ exams, then select the most accurate characterization of the​ teacher's activities. Because there is a statewide reading comprehension test that must be passed by all​ high-school students before they receive​ state-sanctioned diplomas, Mr.​ Gillette, a​ tenth-grade English​ teacher, spends about four weeks of his regular class sessions getting students ready to pass standardized tests. He devotes one week to each of the following​ topics: (1) time management in​ examinations, (2) dealing with​ test-induced anxiety,​ (3) making calculated​ guesses, and​ (4) trying to think like the​ test's item writers. Mr.​ Gillette's students seem appreciative of his efforts. Mr.​ Gillette's activities​ constitute:

a violation of the professional ethics guideline