DRC DRC Assessment Design 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of 'cognitive labs' in DRC's item development process?
- Laboratory tests of computer hardware used for testing
- One-on-one sessions where students think aloud while answering items (Correct answer)
- Group sessions for scoring student essays
- Training sessions for test administrators
Correct answer: One-on-one sessions where students think aloud while answering items
Cognitive labs involve individual students verbalizing their thought processes while responding to items, revealing how they interpret and engage with test content.
Question 2: In DRC assessment design, what does 'depth of knowledge' (DOK) refer to?
- The length of written response required
- The complexity of thinking a student must use to answer an item (Correct answer)
- The number of standards covered in a single item
- The reading level of the item text
Correct answer: The complexity of thinking a student must use to answer an item
Depth of knowledge describes the level of cognitive demand required by an item, ranging from recall to strategic and extended thinking.
Question 3: Which document type specifies the exact wording, formatting, and scoring of each DRC test item?
- Test blueprint
- Item specification (Correct answer)
- Score report
- Examinee handbook
Correct answer: Item specification
Item specifications define precisely how each item should be written, formatted, and scored to ensure consistency across the item bank.
Question 4: What is 'content review' as part of DRC's quality assurance process?
- Reviewing sales content for marketing materials
- Subject-matter experts checking items for accuracy and appropriateness (Correct answer)
- A legal review of test copyrights
- Students previewing test content before administration
Correct answer: Subject-matter experts checking items for accuracy and appropriateness
Content review involves qualified educators and subject-matter experts examining items to verify accuracy, clarity, and alignment to standards.
Question 5: What does 'passage dependency' mean in the context of DRC reading assessments?
- Students depending on their teacher to read passages aloud
- Items that can only be answered correctly by reading the provided passage (Correct answer)
- Items that are identical across multiple passages
- The reliance on digital passage delivery systems
Correct answer: Items that can only be answered correctly by reading the provided passage
Passage-dependent items require students to read and use information from the provided text, ensuring reading comprehension is actually being measured.
Question 6: What is the role of 'rangefinding' in DRC's scoring development for constructed-response items?
- Determining the geographic range of test administration sites
- Selecting anchor papers that define score point ranges before operational scoring (Correct answer)
- Finding the range of possible scores across all items
- Calibrating scanning equipment for answer sheets
Correct answer: Selecting anchor papers that define score point ranges before operational scoring
Rangefinding involves expert scorers reviewing student responses to select representative papers that anchor each score point in the rubric.
DRC DRC Assessment Design 3
What is the purpose of 'cognitive labs' in DRC's item development process?