An Examination of the Content Validity of a High-Stakes English Test

An Examination of the Content Validity of a High-Stakes English Test PDF Author: Serine Poghosyan
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
ISBN: 9783848499861
Category :
Languages : de
Pages : 148

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Book Description
Content validity evidence is vital in any testing situation, and in high-stakes testing in particular. The present work reviews the findings of the study carried out on the evaluation of test validity of standardized high-stakes tests in EFL settings in the light of the English Unified School-leaving and University Entrance Exam (USL & UEE). In this research, emphasis was on the evaluation and measurement of the content validity of the mentioned test through statistical procedures and qualitative analysis. Being a new implementation in Armenia, the unified tests more than ever needed to be investigated from the point of view of their validity and reliability, since they may have served as a model for the further improvement of entrance examinations. The test was claimed to have been designed to measure the level of proficiency of EFL students within the scope of secondary school program in Armenia. To determine the extent to which the content of USL & UEE was consistent with the English language program the present study was performed.

An Examination of the Content Validity of a High-Stakes English Test

An Examination of the Content Validity of a High-Stakes English Test PDF Author: Serine Poghosyan
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
ISBN: 9783848499861
Category :
Languages : de
Pages : 148

Get Book Here

Book Description
Content validity evidence is vital in any testing situation, and in high-stakes testing in particular. The present work reviews the findings of the study carried out on the evaluation of test validity of standardized high-stakes tests in EFL settings in the light of the English Unified School-leaving and University Entrance Exam (USL & UEE). In this research, emphasis was on the evaluation and measurement of the content validity of the mentioned test through statistical procedures and qualitative analysis. Being a new implementation in Armenia, the unified tests more than ever needed to be investigated from the point of view of their validity and reliability, since they may have served as a model for the further improvement of entrance examinations. The test was claimed to have been designed to measure the level of proficiency of EFL students within the scope of secondary school program in Armenia. To determine the extent to which the content of USL & UEE was consistent with the English language program the present study was performed.

High Stakes

High Stakes PDF Author: Committee on Appropriate Test Use
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309524954
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 351

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Book Description
Everyone is in favor of "high education standards" and "fair testing" of student achievement, but there is little agreement as to what these terms actually mean. High Stakes looks at how testing affects critical decisions for American students. As more and more tests are introduced into the country's schools, it becomes increasingly important to know how those tests are used--and misused--in assessing children's performance and achievements. High Stakes focuses on how testing is used in schools to make decisions about tracking and placement, promotion and retention, and awarding or withholding high school diplomas. This book sorts out the controversies that emerge when a test score can open or close gates on a student's educational pathway. The expert panel: Proposes how to judge the appropriateness of a test. Explores how to make tests reliable, valid, and fair. Puts forward strategies and practices to promote proper test use. Recommends how decisionmakers in education should--and should not--use test results. The book discusses common misuses of testing, their political and social context, what happens when test issues are taken to court, special student populations, social promotion, and more. High Stakes will be of interest to anyone concerned about the long-term implications for individual students of picking up that Number 2 pencil: policymakers, education administrators, test designers, teachers, and parents.

Testing for Language Teachers

Testing for Language Teachers PDF Author: Arthur Hughes
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521484952
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
This second edition remains the most practical guide to testing language. It has a new chapter on testing young learners.

The Unintended Consequences of High-Stakes Testing

The Unintended Consequences of High-Stakes Testing PDF Author: Gail M. Jones
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN: 1461715474
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 189

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Book Description
To better understand how high-stakes accountability has influenced teaching and learning, this book takes an in-depth look at the myriad consequences that high-stakes tests hold for students, teachers, administrators, and the public. By focusing on these tests and spending large amounts of time on test preparation and driving teachers to teach low-level, rote memorization, schools are essentially wiping out non-tested subjects such as science, social studies, physical education, and the arts. Although testing is promoted as a strategy for improving education for all, research shows that testing has differential effects on students with special needs, minority students, students living in poverty, and those for whom English is a second language. The Unintended Consequences of High Stakes Testing unpacks the assumptions and philosophical foundations on which testing policies are based. The authors' arguments are grounded in extensive interviews and research. Through an examination of research, these authors show that high-stakes testing promotes students' dependence on extrinsic motivation at the cost of intrinsic motivation and the associated love of learning—which has tangible impacts on their education and lives. Features: -Examines how high stakes testing from the perspectives of teachers, students, and adminstrators. -Considers how testing impacts the curriculum including tested subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics as well as non-tested subjects such as science, social studies, physical education, and the arts. -Documents how teachers and administrators engage in test preparation and discusses ethical and unethical test preparation practices. -Reviews the evolution of testing through history and how it mpacts the curriculum. -Examines the differential effects of testing on students with special needs, minority students, students living in poverty, and those for whom English is a second language.

Validity in Educational and Psychological Assessment

Validity in Educational and Psychological Assessment PDF Author: Paul Newton
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1473904056
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 465

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Book Description
Validity is the hallmark of quality for educational and psychological measurement. But what does quality mean in this context? And to what, exactly, does the concept of validity apply? These apparently innocuous questions parachute the unwary inquirer into a minefield of tricky ideas. This book guides you through this minefield, investigating how the concept of validity has evolved from the nineteenth century to the present day. Communicating complicated concepts straightforwardly, the authors answer questions like: What does ′validity′ mean? What does it mean to ′validate′? How many different kinds of validity are there? When does validation begin and end? Is reliability a part of validity, or distinct from it? This book will be of interest to anyone with a professional or academic interest in evaluating the quality of educational or psychological assessments, measurements and diagnoses.

Assessing Students in the Margin

Assessing Students in the Margin PDF Author: Michael Russell
Publisher: IAP
ISBN: 1617353167
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 493

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Book Description
The importance of student assessment, particularly for summative purposes, has increased greatly over the past thirty years. At the same time, emphasis on including all students in assessment programs has also increased. Assessment programs, whether they are large-scale, district-based, or teacher developed, have traditionally attempted to assess students using a single instrument administered to students under the same conditions. Educators and test developers, however, are increasingly acknowledging that this practice does not result in valid information, inferences, and decisions for all students. This problem is particularly true for students in the margins, whose characteristics and needs differ from what the public thinks of as the general population of students. Increasingly, educators, educational leaders, and test developers are seeking strategies, techniques, policies, and guidelines for assessing students for whom standard assessment instruments do not function well. Whether used for high-stakes decisions or classroom-based formative decisions, the most critical element of any educational assessment is validity. Developing and administering assessment instruments that provide valid measures and allow for valid inferences and decisions for all groups of students presents a major challenge for today’s assessment programs. Over the past few decades, several national policies have sparked research and development efforts that aim to increase test validity for students in the margins. This book explores recent developments and efforts in three important areas. The first section focuses on strategies for improving test validity through the provision of test accommodations. The second section focuses on alternate and modified assessments. Federal policies now allow testing programs to develop and administer alternate assessments for students who have not been exposed to grade-level content, and thus are not expected to demonstrate proficiency on grade-level assessments. A separate policy allows testing programs to develop modified assessments that will provided more useful information about achievement for a small percentage of students who are exposed to grade-level content but for whom the standard form of the grade-level test does not provide a valid measure of achievement. These policies are complex and can be confusing for educators who are not familiar with their details. The chapters in the second section unpack these policies and explore the implications these policies have for test design. The third and final section of the book examines how principles of Universal Design can be applied to improve test validity for all students. Collectively, this volume presents a comprehensive examination of the several issues that present challenges for assessing the achievement of all students. While our understanding of how to overcome these challenges continues to evolve, the lessons, strategies, and avenues for future research explored in this book empower educators, test developers, and testing programs with a deeper understanding of how we can improve assessments for students in the margins.

Validity Argument in Language Testing

Validity Argument in Language Testing PDF Author: Carol A. Chapelle
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110860238X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 371

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Book Description
Language tests play pivotal roles in education, research on learning, and gate-keeping decisions. The central concern for language testing professionals is how to investigate whether or not tests are appropriate for their intended purposes. This book introduces an argument-based validity framework to help with the design of research that investigates the validity of language test interpretation and use. The book presents the principal concepts and technical terms, then shows how they can be implemented successfully in practice through a variety of validation studies. It also demonstrates how argument-based validity intersects with technology in language testing research and highlights the use of validity argument for identifying research questions and interpreting the results of validation research. Use of the framework helps researchers in language testing to communicate clearly and consistently about technical issues with each other and with researchers of other types of tests.

Optimizing Higher Education Learning Through Activities and Assessments

Optimizing Higher Education Learning Through Activities and Assessments PDF Author: Inoue-Smith, Yukiko
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1799840379
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 407

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Book Description
The mission of higher education in the 21st century must focus on optimizing learning for all students. In a shift from prioritizing effective teaching to active learning, it is understood that computer-enhanced environments provide a variety of ways to reach a wide range of learners who have differing backgrounds, ages, learning needs, and expectations. Integrating technology into teaching assumes greater importance to improve the learning experience. Optimizing Higher Education Learning Through Activities and Assessments is a collection of innovative research that explores the link between effective course design and student engagement and optimizes learning and assessments in technology-enhanced environments and among diverse student populations. Its focus is on providing an understanding of the essential link between practices for effective “activities” and strategies for effective “assessments,” as well as providing examples of course designs aligned with assessments, positioning college educators both as leaders and followers in the cycle of lifelong learning. While highlighting a broad range of topics including collaborative teaching, active learning, and flipped classroom methods, this book is ideally designed for educators, curriculum developers, instructional designers, administrators, researchers, academicians, and students.

Assessing Chinese Learners of English

Assessing Chinese Learners of English PDF Author: Guoxing Yu
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137449780
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
This volume gathers researchers from around the world endeavouring to better understand a number of perennial issues in assessing Chinese learners of English, covering topics such as students' test performances, interactional competence and lexical knowledge, students' motivation, teachers' attitudes and assessment policy changes.

Large-scale Assessment Programs for All Students

Large-scale Assessment Programs for All Students PDF Author: Gerald Tindal
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135653887
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 569

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Book Description
The need for a comprehensive volume that reviews both the processes and issues involved in developing, administering, and validating large-scale assessment programs has never been greater. These programs are used for many purposes, including instructional program evaluation, promotion, certification, graduation, and accountability. One of the greatest problems we face is how to deal with special needs and bilingual populations. Examining these processes and issues is the mission of this book. It is organized into the following five sections: Introduction, Validity Issues, Technical Issues, Implementation Issues, and Epilogue. Each chapter follows a common structure: Overview of critical issues, review of relevant research, descriptions of current assessment methodologies, and recommendations for the future research and practice. Written by nationally recognized scholars,Large-Scale Assessment Programs for All Students: Validity, Technical Adequacy, and Implementation will appeal to anyone seriously involved in large scale testing, including educators, policymakers, testing company personnel, and researchers in education, psychology, and public policy.