GAT Assessment and Evaluation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher wants to measure student growth over time rather than compare students to each other. Which assessment approach best serves this goal?
- Norm-referenced assessment
- Criterion-referenced assessment
- Ipsative assessment (Correct answer)
- Standardized assessment
Correct answer: Ipsative assessment
Ipsative assessment compares a student's current performance to their own previous performance, directly measuring individual growth.
Question 2: Which statistical measure indicates how much individual scores deviate from the mean in a test distribution?
- Median
- Standard deviation (Correct answer)
- Percentile rank
- Mode
Correct answer: Standard deviation
Standard deviation quantifies the spread or variability of scores around the mean in a distribution.
Question 3: A rubric that uses broad categories like 'Beginning,' 'Developing,' and 'Proficient' is best described as:
- Analytic rubric
- Holistic rubric (Correct answer)
- Single-point rubric
- Developmental rubric
Correct answer: Holistic rubric
A holistic rubric assigns a single overall score based on general performance levels rather than evaluating separate criteria.
Question 4: Portfolio assessment is primarily valued because it:
- Provides a single snapshot of student ability
- Enables comparison across large student populations
- Captures a student's progress and growth over time (Correct answer)
- Produces objective scores free from teacher bias
Correct answer: Captures a student's progress and growth over time
Portfolios collect work samples over time, allowing assessment of growth, process, and achievement across a learning period.
Question 5: In testing, the term 'ceiling effect' refers to when:
- A test has too many difficult items for the population tested
- Most students score near the maximum, limiting score discrimination (Correct answer)
- Scores are artificially lowered by test anxiety
- A test measures more than one construct simultaneously
Correct answer: Most students score near the maximum, limiting score discrimination
A ceiling effect occurs when a test is too easy, causing most examinees to cluster at or near the top score, reducing the ability to differentiate performance.
Question 6: Which evaluation model focuses on determining if a program's goals and objectives are being met?
- CIPP Model
- Goal-free evaluation
- Responsive evaluation
- Tyler's Goal Attainment Model (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Tyler's Goal Attainment Model
Tyler's Goal Attainment Model evaluates programs by comparing actual outcomes to pre-specified goals and objectives.
Question 7: Diagnostic assessment is MOST useful for:
- Assigning final grades at the end of a course
- Identifying specific student strengths and gaps before instruction (Correct answer)
- Comparing student performance to national norms
- Evaluating the effectiveness of a completed curriculum
Correct answer: Identifying specific student strengths and gaps before instruction
Diagnostic assessments are administered before instruction to identify what students already know and where learning gaps exist.
GAT Assessment and Evaluation 2
A teacher wants to measure student growth over time rather than compare students to each other.
Which assessment approach best serves this goal?