High-Stakes Testing in Education: Science and Practice in K-12 Settings

The educational testing community in the United States is facing a dramatic increase in the use test scores as a measure of accountability. This volume covers a selection of contemporary issues in testing science and practice that impact the nation's public education system. These include test development at the local and state levels, the assessment of special populations, test performance in charter schools, and the role of college placement and entrance examinations. Also featured is a section focusing on validation practices, and defining and interpreting resulting test scores. Specific topics include the role of examinee motivation, obtaining and making decisions based on validity evidence, evidence of consequences, and considering contextual sampling effects when evaluating validity evidence. This text is for measurement practitioners, scholars, and advanced graduate students involved in researching and implementing high stakes testing. It will serve as a valuable reference for practitioners and an excellent resource for graduate level seminars in high stakes testing.