Instructional Insensitivity of Tests: Accountability's Dire Drawback

Autor/in	Popham, W. James
Titel	Instructional Insensitivity of Tests: Accountability's Dire Drawback
Quelle	In: Phi Delta Kappan, 89 (2007) 2, S.146-150 (6 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0031-7217
Schlagwörter	Student Evaluation; Accountability; Scores; Tests; Socioeconomic Status + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schulnote; Studentische Bewertung; Verantwortung; Examination; Prüfung; Examen; Socio-economic status; Sozioökonomischer Status
Abstract	The "instructional sensitivity" of a test represents the degree to which students' performances on that test accurately reflect the quality of the instruction that was provided specifically to promote students' mastery of whatever is being assessed. In other words, an instructionally "sensitive" test would be capable of distinguishing between strong and weak instruction by allowing one to validly conclude that a set of students' "high" test scores are meaningfully, but not exclusively, attributable to effective instruction. Similarly, such a test would allow one to accurately infer that a set of students' "low" test scores are meaningfully, but not exclusively, attributable to ineffective instruction. In contrast, an instructionally "insensitive" test would not allow one to distinguish accurately between strong and weak instruction. This article describes the main features of a practical procedure for ascertaining the instructional sensitivity of any test, whether it is already in use or is under development. Because the instructional sensitivity of an accountability system's tests is the dominant determinant of whether that system helps or harms students, this approach should be used widely. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Phi Delta Kappa International. 408 North Union Street, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-1789. Tel: 800-766-1156; Fax: 812-339-0018; e-mail: orders@pdkintl.org; Web site: http://www.pdkintl.org/publications/pubshome.htm
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10