Validity
A teacher looks at her test and asks, “Does this really measure what I taught?”
What is checking validity?
A student writes two great essays on a writing test. The teacher decides, “This student is a strong writer.” That conclusion is called this.
What is an inference or interpretation?
A test gives accurate scores, but those scores don’t help the school improve learning. The test fails this part.
What is fitness for purpose?
A teacher doesn’t do a full study, but she carefully thinks through what she’s testing and why.
What is thoughtful test planning?
A new reading test is being used in a school. The team looks at whether scores are accurate and helpful.
What is building a validity argument?
A principal says, “Can we trust these scores to help us improve instruction?” She’s thinking about this.
What is test validity?
A teacher uses a student’s test answers to figure out what they know. That process is called this.
What is making an inference or interpretation?
A reading test is used to decide who gets into a debate team. That’s a problem with this.
What is using a test for the wrong purpose?
A history teacher gives a test to help students prep for a project, not just to give a grade.
What is using a test to support learning?
These are the three big judgments that go into deciding if a test is valid.
What are inference accuracy, fitness for purpose, and overall validity?
A test can’t be called “valid” by itself. Validity depends on how we use the test results.
What is “Validity applies to how we interpret and use scores, not the test itself”?
A teacher asks, “Do the answers on this test really tell me what my students understand?”
What is checking inference accuracy?
A teacher gives a quiz to figure out what to reteach next week. She’s using the test for this.
What is instructional planning?
A teacher says, “Even though the score is high, I’m not sure they really understand the topic.”
What is questioning the accuracy of the interpretation?
Validation involves a process that starts with accurate scores, checks if they help meet the test’s goal, and ends in this.
What is a validity argument?
A teacher wants to be sure the test results are both accurate and helpful for teaching decisions. She’s working on this.
What is a validity argument?
A teacher says, “My test scores are accurate, but do they actually help me improve my teaching?”
What is checking the purpose of the test?
A teacher checks if a test helps with why she gave the test in the first place. That’s called this.
What is evaluating the test’s purpose?
A teacher writes a unit test and double-checks that all the questions match what he taught.
What is making a valid teacher-made test?
A teacher builds a test, checks how well scores match what students learned, and asks whether the test helps guide teaching. She’s doing this.
What is informal validation?