Validation Theory and Practice in the Context of High-Stakes Test Use
Derek C. Briggs

About the research

Award

NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship

Award Year

2007

Institution

University of Colorado at Boulder

Primary Discipline

Statistics/Measurement/Research Methods
Strong inferences about test scores must be supported by strong programs of test validation. The purpose of this project is to investigate and characterize the extent to which there are gaps between test validation theory and practice in American state assessment programs. This will be accomplished by conducting a census of state validation practices using an evaluative framework based upon the AERA/APA/NCME Test Standards for Validity. A key criterion in this framework will be the extent to which states have integrated different types of validity evidence into a comprehensive argument that supports the interpretation of test scores for specific uses. The results from this census will be used to inform a series of constructive design proposals that states could realistically employ to establish or strengthen ongoing programs of test validation. The findings from this project could serve as a first step in developing a taxonomy of threats to test validity that are analogous to threats to internal validity in the context of causal inference.
About Derek C. Briggs
Derek C. Briggs is an assistant professor specializing in quantitative methods and policy analysis at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Briggs teaches courses in statistics and measurment in the Research and Evaluation Methodology program. His research applies statistical and psychometric methods to address a wide range of topics in educational settings. His areas of specialization include causal inference and item response theory. In particular, Dr. Briggs has studied the effectiveness of coaching programs for college admissions tests, the potential for multidimensional analyses of testing instruments, racial/ethnic performance gaps in science achievement, and the development of large-scale standardized tests with diagnostic utility. Dr. Briggs has given research presentations at the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association and the National Council on Measurement in Education, as well as at places such as the National Research Council, The College Board, Educational Testing Service, RAND, and the University of California (Berkeley, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara). He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 2002.

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