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Balancing Validity Claims in MSP Assessments

Abstract

This paper addresses the following claim(s):

"Using well developed assessments developed by RETA projects requires the principal investigators to address the alignment between the grain science of RETA-developed assessments and the science and mathematics disciplinary knowledge of their own projects. Assessments like ATLAST tend to be too narrowly focused. Others, like DTAMS and MOSART, tend to be too broad. Rarely if ever do projects find an assessment that is "just right." Developing valid and reliable measures of teacher and student disciplinary knowledge is a labor-intensive and complex process. Such development is facilitated by involving disciplinary faculty in the development of learning objectives and providing opportunities for project staff to work together on the development of project-specific instruments. However, the technical quality of such instruments is still problematic, making the inferences drawn about the effectiveness of the professional development less robust than is wanted."