Discussion 2: Blog: Accuracy Standards

A2 Valid Information: According to Yarbrough, Shulha, Hopson, and Caruthers (2011) state that Validity in its various emphases is an integrating theme across all the Accuracy Standards. Therefore, valid information refers to the accuracy of assessment, whether it measures what it is supposed to measure. There are three ways in which validity can be measured. To have confidence that a test is valid and therefore the inferences we make based on the test scores are valid all three kinds of validity evidence should be considered (Fairbairn, 2009). However, being aware of the basic tenets of validity as you construct your classroom assessments, and you should be able to help parents interpret scores for the standardized exams.

 A3 Reliable Information: According to Yarbrough, Shulha, Hopson, and Caruthers (2011) state that reliability is defined as the consistency of information and the information that is collected and is crucial to the justification of validity. Reliability refers to the extent to which assessments are consistent (Fairbairn, 2009).  For example, having reliable cars that start every time we need it. Therefore, educators will strive to have reliable, consistent instruments to measure student achievement (Golafshani, 2003).  According to Golafshani (2003) states that another measure of reliability is the internal consistency of the items. For example, if you create a test to measure students’ ability to solve quadratic equations, then perhaps the student will get it right. Although reliability enemy can be random error and freedom from the random error, it seems to be equally important for qualitative and quantitative information summaries (Yarbrough, Shulha, & Hopson, 2011).

 Reference:

Fairbairn, S. B. (2009). Inclusive achievement testing for linguistically and culturally diverse test takers: Essential considerations for test developers and decision makers. National Council on Measurement in Education 28 (1), 10-24.

Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. The Qualitative Report, 8 (4),, pp. 597-606.

Yarbrough, D., Shulha, L., & Hopson, R. C. (2011). The Program Evaluation Standards. Los Angeles: Sage.