Assessment & Evaluation Techniques Flashcards

A teacher notices that students from one demographic group consistently score lower on a multiple-choice test than on performance tasks measuring the same skills. This discrepancy most likely indicates:

Answer: Construct irrelevant variance due to cultural or linguistic bias in the test items

When scores differ by group on the same construct, construct irrelevant variance—often from biased item language or cultural assumptions—is the most likely culprit.

Which of the following best describes the purpose of an item analysis after administering a classroom test?

Answer: To identify individual items that may be flawed or that discriminate poorly between high and low performers

Item analysis examines difficulty indices and discrimination indices to flag items that may be misleading, too easy, too hard, or failing to differentiate student understanding.

A district uses the same reading assessment each fall for three consecutive years to track cohort growth. What threat to validity should the assessment team be most concerned about?

Answer: Practice effects and item exposure reducing the assessment's construct validity over time

Repeated use of identical items allows students to benefit from prior exposure, threatening validity because scores may reflect familiarity rather than growth in the target skill.

In standards-based grading, a student's final grade should primarily reflect:

Answer: The most consistent and recent evidence of mastery of learning targets

Standards-based grading emphasizes reporting the level of mastery a student has demonstrated, prioritizing recent and consistent evidence over early or isolated scores.

Which assessment approach is MOST appropriate when the goal is to evaluate a student's ability to apply knowledge to novel, real-world problems?

Answer: Authentic performance tasks requiring demonstration of competencies

Authentic performance tasks require students to apply skills in realistic contexts, making them the most appropriate format for assessing transfer and application.

A teacher records observational notes about student discussion contributions each day over two weeks. This approach is BEST described as:

Answer: Anecdotal record-keeping as a form of formative assessment

Systematic anecdotal records gathered during instruction constitute formative assessment that informs ongoing instructional decisions.

When interpreting a student's score on a norm-referenced test, a percentile rank of 72 means:

Answer: The student scored higher than 72% of the students in the norm group

A percentile rank indicates the percentage of students in the norm group who scored at or below the student's score, not the percentage of items answered correctly.