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Assessment Terminology: Key Concepts for Shared Understanding
Type: Horace Feature
Source: Horace. Vol.18, #2. Winter 2002.
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Habits of Mind
Habits of mind include such things as knowing where to find more information,
asking original questions, reflecting on and learning from experience,
understanding how to collaborate, and seeking out multiple points of view.
These kinds of habits are at the heart of education, but are not easily
demonstrated through testing.
High-Stakes Tests
High-stakes tests mostly or totally determine significant consequences.
Tests are high-stakes for students when promotion from one grade to the
next or graduation depends on personal results; tests are high-stakes
for schools when teacher pay, funding or control depends on the aggregate
results.
Norm-Referenced Tests
Norm-referenced tests rank an individual score against the scores of
a group of students who have taken the same test previously and place
individuals on a percentile. Often designed to assess students across
a wide range of places and ages, norm-referenced tests don't measure school-specific
curricula or skills. Norm-referenced tests are handy for broad comparison
purposes but don't tell much about a particular student's skills, access
to knowledge or habits of mind.
Criterion-Referenced Tests
Criterion-referenced tests intend to measure how well a student has learned
a specific body of knowledge and set of skills. Criterion-referenced tests
tend to score students as “proficient” or “not yet proficient”
rather than in percentile rankings. They are designed for relatively rapid
assessment via easily scored means (pen and paper, most often).
Performance-Based Assessments
Performance-based assessments are exhibitions of mastery and skill that
require students to construct responses and demonstrate those responses
in a variety of ways (through writing, speaking, collaboration, construction,
movement, and so on). Because performance-based assessments are complex,
they are scored using rubrics indicating levels of performance on a variety
of parameters. Evaluation is narrative and not easily reduced to a number
or letter grade.
Validity
Validity indicates the extent to which evaluators can make accurate judgments
about what students know based on their performance on an assessment.
A valid assessment measures what students have been charged with knowing;
an invalid assessment measures other skills and information and therefore
should not be used as the basis for judgment about students' performance.
Reliability /Inter-Rater Reliability
Reliability describes scoring consistency from one assessment to the
next. Inter-rater reliability describes scoring consistency from one scorer
to the next - that is, that all scorers understand and agree on what constitutes
various levels of performance when looking at an essay, a dance, a debate
or other exhibition of skill and mastery.
This resource last updated: May 28, 2002
Database Information:
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Source: Horace. Vol.18, #2. Winter 2002.
Publication Year: 2002
Publisher: CES National
School Level: All
Issue: 18.2
Focus Area: Classroom Practice
STRAND: Classroom Practice: assessment
Assessment: Planning Backwards
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