Alignment Among Secondary and Post-Secondary Assessments in Oregon
Abstract
As students progress through high school and into institutions of higher education, they take numerous tests that vary in scope, content, and purpose. At the K-12 level, almost all of the states are currently using or developing assessments that are aligned with state standards (American Federation of Teachers, 1999). In addition to the K-12 tests, students who plan to attend college usually take another bevy of assessments, ranging from nationally administered college admissions exams to university-specific course placement tests. Assessments, as "snapshots" of student performance, are imperfect, indirect measures of what students have accomplished. Nevertheless, they can provide valuable information about a student's capabilities within particular contexts. A well-constructed English composition placement test, for instance, can help a university determine whether a student is ready for college-level writing or needs a remedial composition course. A statewide achievement test, on the hand, typically has no direct relevance to college placement or admission. Rather, the aims of most state tests are to sample from a range of topics and to cover material learned across several grades so that state educators, policymakers, parents, and citizens can form a better understanding of how their students and schools are performing, and whether or not they are improving. Consequently, K-12 and college tests may not resemble one another closely in the constructs that they measure. In other words, they may not be well aligned.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA389831
Entities
People
- Abby Robyn
- Vi-nhuan Le
Organizations
- RAND Corporation