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
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