Evaluation of Test Materials and Procedures

In Unit 2, you selected one standardized test that has relevancy to your academic and professional goal and focused on the first four elements of the Code for selecting a test. In Unit 5, you focused on the fifth element of the Code, which involved analyzing the evidence for technical quality of your selected test.

In Chapters 7 and 8 of your Psychological Testing and Assessment text, you have been learning about test utility, test development, item analysis, and using tests in a variety of settings and with a variety of test takers. In this assignment, you will apply those concepts to your selected test for the Code’s sixth, seventh, and eighth elements. The Code (2004) states that test users, “(6) evaluate representative samples of test questions or practice tests, directions, answer sheets, manuals, and score reports before selecting a test; (7) evaluate procedures and materials used by the test developers, as well as the resulting test, to ensure that potentially offensive content or language is avoided; and (8) select tests with appropriately modified forms or administration procedures for test takes with disabilities who need special accommodations.”

For this assignment, locate a minimum of five resources (a minimum three peer-reviewed journal articles) pertaining to your test’s construction, item development, procedures utilized in construction to minimize offensive content, and provisions of modifications and accommodations for test takers. You will not be required or need to have a copy of your test to complete this assignment. You may use many different types of references and sources to obtain this information about your test. These references may include journal articles, literature reviews, MMY reviews, and publisher websites.

Information gathering and evaluation of these elements may require a keyword search within each relevant review and research article. It may be helpful to do keyword searches within those documents with the following words: format, fair, fairness, bias, appropriate, accommodations, modifications, and computer or computer assisted. Subsequently, this particular assignment requires a deeper search and provides a broader range of sources to fulfill the minimum references. In almost all cases, you will be able to locate some level of information on these elements.

For some newer test editions, literature may be scarce. Refer back to the Lists of Tests by Type document to see which tests are approved for supplementation with articles that address earlier editions of the tests. If the “Combined Review Allowed” column is marked “Yes,” you can supplement your review with articles addressing the designated prior version of the test.

Note: In future courses, you may use the Capella library’s Interlibrary Loan service to obtain articles outside of the collection, but you should not have to use the service for this course. In the event that you cannot find articles covering a newer test edition, please refer to the List of Tests by Type document in the resources. Note which tests have been designated as acceptable for searching prior test editions.

If you are struggling with locating sufficient information about a particular test in regard to an element in this assignment, then you will need to cite the references or reviews involved in your search and identify this element as problematic for your selected test as it lacks sufficient documentation in the literature for this code or standard.

Compose your findings into a paper using the following outline (please use these headings):

1. Title page (required).
2. Abstract (optional).
3. Introduction: Identify the standardized test you selected in Unit 2, and its stated purpose.
4. Test items and format.
   • Identify type or format of test items.
   • Identify formats of the test that are available (including alternate forms, audio, computer, et cetera).
   • Identify the types of scores obtained from the test. (Include information about norms.)
   • Evaluate and identify or cite positive aspects of test items and formats, directions, answer sheets, and score reports.
   • Evaluate and identify or cite negative aspects of test items and formats, directions, answer sheets, and score reports.
   • Summarize the quality and appropriateness of the test items and formats, directions, answer sheets, and score reports.
5. Fair and appropriate materials.
   • Identify or cite positive and negative aspects of test materials that minimize potentially offensive content or language. Explain.
   • Identify or cite if the test allows appropriate modifications or accommodations. Explain how or why it does not allow such modifications or accommodations.
   • Cite at least one AERA standard for Supporting Documentation for Tests (see Chapter 7 of your Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing text) that are implicated in either the positive or negative aspects of your selected test.
6. Use of technology.
   • Discuss and evaluate how advances in technology have been utilized or incorporated with your selected test to address test items and format.
   • Discuss and evaluate how advances in technology have been utilized or incorporate with your selected test to address fair and appropriate materials.
7. Synthesis of findings.
   • Identify any major strengths you identified for your test in terms of test items and materials.
   • Identify any weaknesses, even if they are relative, regarding your test in terms of test items and materials.
8. Conclusions and recommendations.
   • Evaluate your selected test based on the strengths and weaknesses, and advantages and disadvantages of the test items, materials, and their appropriateness.
   • Make at least three recommendations about improvements that could be considered to improve the test, if applicable. Cite standards (AERA) to support each recommendation.
9. References (required, use current APA format and style).

Additional Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• References: A minimum of five references (a minimum of three peer-reviewed journal articles among the five).
• Length of paper: At least five pages (not including title page, abstract, or references).

Reference

Joint Committee on Testing Practices. (2004). Code of fair testing practices in education. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/science/programs/testing/fair-testing.pdf

Resources