Teacher Scenarios
A 2nd grade teacher gives a reading test with passages far above grade level, causing strong readers to score poorly.
What is a lack of validity?
An assistant principal reviews data from different classrooms but notices each teacher administered the test differently.
What is a threat to reliability?
A district ensures a reading assessment aligns directly to state standards and measures the intended skills.
What is validity?
A 4th grade teacher gives the same math quiz twice in one week, and students receive very similar scores both times.
What is reliability?
An assistant principal ensures teachers use the same rubric and scoring expectations for writing assessments.
What is improving reliability (inter-rater reliability)?
A district compares data across schools using a standardized assessment given the same way everywhere.
What is reliability supporting comparison?
A teacher uses a phonics assessment that only measures decoding skills to group students for small group instruction.
What is a valid use of an assessment?
A school uses a reading test to evaluate teacher effectiveness, even though it measures long-term reading ability influenced by outside factors.
What is a validity concern?
A district uses one assessment to identify student needs and another to monitor growth over time.
What is using validity for identification and reliability for progress monitoring?
A teacher notices that student reading scores change drastically from one week to the next without new instruction.
What is a reliability issue?
An assistant principal balances using one assessment for accurate skill measurement and another for consistent progress monitoring.
What is using validity and reliability together for school-wide decision-making?
A district selects an assessment that produces consistent scores across all schools and classrooms.
What is prioritizing reliability?
A teacher uses one assessment that accurately measures comprehension and another that produces consistent fluency data.
What is using both validity and reliability to guide instruction?
A school uses assessment data to form intervention groups, ensuring the test matches the specific reading skill being taught.
What is ensuring validity for instructional decisions?
A district chooses an assessment that measures reading comprehension but not vocabulary, then uses it to make vocabulary decisions.
What is using validity for identification and reliability for progress monitoring?