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Mini Project I--Evaluation of a Standardized Test. By Marcia Luebbe. California Achievement Tests, Fifth Edition. Published by CTBS Macmillan/McGraw Hill 1992 $90.30 for 30 third-graders, using consumable books Requires 330 minutes to administer. Description of Purpose and Nature of Test.
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Mini Project I--Evaluation of a Standardized Test By Marcia Luebbe
California Achievement Tests, Fifth Edition • Published by CTBS Macmillan/McGraw Hill • 1992 • $90.30 for 30 third-graders, using consumable books • Requires 330 minutes to administer
Description of Purpose and Nature of Test • “Designed to measure achievement in the basic skills taught in schools throughout the nation” • Applicable for Kindergarten through Twelfth grades
Content/Appropriateness • Basic skills K-12 • Complete Battery: Reading, Language, Spelling, Math, Study Skills, Science, Social Studies • Basic Battery: Reading, Language, Spelling, Math, Study Skills • Survey • Performance Component
Content/Appropriateness • Review by Bruce G. Rogers, UNI, Cedar Falls, IA • “Well-developed achievement series whose authors are responsive to suggestions for improvement • “Suitable for schools that emphasize the ‘three R’s’ across the curriculum” • Grade 9 assessment may have questionable appropriateness • 12 to 25 constructed response items per subject
Content and Appropriateness • Review by Victor Willson, Texas A&M, College Station, TX • “As good as any norm-reference multi-level basic skills test” • K-1 tends to be give somewhat poor results • “Good, interpretable test”
Technical Evaluation • Types: • Objective Mastery • Grade Equivalent (also Grade Mean Equivalent) • National Percentile (also Median National Percentile) • Number-Correct Score • National Stanine (also Mean National Stanine) • Scale Score (also Mean Scale Score) • Normal Curve Equivalent (also Mean Normal Curve Equivalent)
Standardization Sample • Spring 1991 • 115,888 students • K-12, geographic groupings • 734 Schools responded to questionnaire • 261 Public Schools, 112 Private/Parochial Schools, all volunteer • Fall 1991 • 109,825 • K-12 • 265 Public Schools, 96 Private/Parochial Schools
Factors Considered • Microcomputers in home • Average annual teaching salary • Mobility • Ethnic • ELL • Working parents • Single-parent homes • Number of children in family • %-age of students receiving ADC • Parent Jobs • Parent Education
Judges--Three Groups • Bias--41 reviewers, ethnic balance • Content--20 content and curriculum specialists • Teachers--17 at appropriate grade levels
Reliability • KR20 • Split-half coefficients • Conclusion: .94 - .98 on total battery, spring, fall, and winter
Validity • Item-by-item bias • Ethnic • Black • Hispanic • Other • Gender • Results: “little evidence of biases”
Summary • Anthony J. Nitko, University of Pittsburgh • Strong assessment tool • Be careful about educational decisions for individuals • CHECK YOUR CURRICULUM FOR ALIGNMENT. The CAT5 matches most 1980’s curriculums, changes may (and should) have been made to curriculum since 1980.
Summary • Robert F. McMorris, EdPsych/Stats, State Univ. of New York, and others • “New-questions” sentiment • Great effort to follow curriculum • CTB provides terrific assistance • Fairly small number of items per objective
Summary • Marcia Luebbe, Curriculum Director and Educator, Pierce Public Schools • Good tool • Easy for teachers to interpret • Some concern with support personnel