Author Description

Under Pressure And Support From The Federal Government, States Have Increasingly Turned To Indicators Based On Student Test Scores To Evaluate Teachers And Schools, As Well As Students Themselves. The Focus Thus Far Has Been On Test Scores In Those Subject Areas Where There Is A Sequence Of Consecutive Tests, Such As In Mathematics Or English/language Arts With A Focus On Grades 4-8. Teachers In These Subject Areas, However, Constitute Less Than Thirty Percent Of The Teacher Workforce In A District. Comparatively Little Has Been Written About The Measurement Of Achievement In The Other Grades And Subjects. This Volume Seeks To Remedy This Imbalance By Focusing On The Assessment Of Student Achievement In A Broad Range Of Grade Levels And Subject Areas, With Particular Attention To Their Use In The Evaluation Of Teachers And Schools In All. It Addresses Traditional End-of-course Tests, As Well As Alternative Measures Such As Portfolios, Exhibitions, And Student Learning Objectives. In Each Case, Issues Related To Design And Development, Psychometric Considerations, And Validity Challenges Are Covered From Both A Generic And A Content-specific Perspective--back Cover.