Technical Issues

Technical Issues

Assessment and accountability systems must be technically sound to be useful in policymaking decisions that support school improvement. As skilled psychometricians, researchers, and evaluators, Center professionals provide expert advice on the validity, fairness, and reliability of those systems to ensure they operate as intended.

Recent Technical Issues Projects

Technical advisory committees

The Center coordinates TACs for 18 states and school districts, and serves on a total of 44 TACs. TACs provide expert and independent advice to help states design, implement, and evaluate their assessment and accountability systems.

Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing

Cara Laitusis and Laura Hamilton serve on the committee that is revising the AERA, APA and NCME volume known as the “bible” of educational testing. These standards serve as the touchstone for technical quality for almost all state and district tests.

Student Growth Percentile model

Damian Betebenner continues to refine the SGP, which is used as the growth model in more than 30 states. Dr. Betebenner and his colleagues have been using the SGP model in more than a dozen states to help state leaders understand COVID-19 impact and recovery rates.

Recent Technical Issues Blog Posts and Papers

Three Common Misconceptions About State Assessments

Experts shed light on key aspects of state testing: comparability, proficiency, and instructional utility.
October 25, 2023
A mess of black spiraling lines not dissimilar to messy hair is pulled apart to create a symmetrical, clean-looking spiral shape that is far more organized, representing how data can go from disorganized to streamlined and informative.

Data, Data, Everywhere. Why So Hard to Use?

States have an abundance of education data. But to use it well, states need good data management practices.
August 23, 2023
Light shines from behind an open door. Within the open door is a smaller door that is open a crack letting the light shine through. The image signifies how much more is possible by expanding size and scope.

Perfect Test Comparability Is a Sign of Failure

The federal innovative assessment pilot has hobbled the testing improvements it aimed to promote. We can change that by rethinking test comparability.
May 22, 2023
A magnifying glass lays on top of what is intended to represent a test. It is magnifying green "plus" signs and red "negative" signs to indicate the importance of evaluating test validity to understand its positive and negative consequences.

Face It: Tests Have Consequences

An assessment’s negative or positive consequences are just as important as other dimensions of assessment quality, and should be part of test validity evaluations.
April 26, 2023
Addressing n-size for research and accountability reporting.

Guidance for Addressing N-Size in School Accountability and Reporting Systems

Decisions regarding the minimum n-size for accountability indicators can make a big difference in the design and implementation of school accountability systems.
February 2, 2023
Student growth measures for accountability do not require a vertical scale and, in fact, may be hampered by one.

Student Growth Measures for Accountability: No, You Don’t Need a Vertical Scale

Student growth measures for accountability do not require a vertical scale and, in fact, may be hampered by one.
January 25, 2023
Creating a program evaluation in 10 steps.

A 10-Step Guide for Incorporating Program Evaluation Into the Design of Educational Interventions

We explain how to incorporate program evaluation in education after you have organized your program to connect it to your evaluation.
December 14, 2022
Proving efficacy with program evaluation.

But How Do We Know It’s Working?

Program evaluation can demonstrate the desired outcomes of educational initiatives, programs, and other “things” are coming to fruition.
November 15, 2022
Exploring Validity Theory in Practice

Advancing Contemporary Validity Theory and Practice

Based on Remarks Given During a Town Hall Session at the 2022 NCME Conference I was honored to participate in […]
April 27, 2022

User-Friendly Documentation and Validation Processes (Part 2)

Documentation Makes for a Good System. What Makes for a Good System of Documentation? A Vision with Documented Strategy and […]
December 14, 2021
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