I think that one of the most important contributions I can make to the educational assessment community is to share what I’ve learned about writing high-quality test items. I have worked in educational assessment for 12 years and I’ve spent much of that time writing and reviewing test items. So, I am ready to write about the art and science of writing items. I look forward to sharing what I know and hearing from others with a passion for educational assessment.
President George W. Bush gave me the opportunity to become an educational assessment expert. After passage of the No Child Left Behind Act I was hired by an assessment company to write mathematics test items. Assessment companies required more content experts because state education agencies began to dramatically increase the amount of student testing after passage of NCLB. I was fortunate to have been chosen to help out with the increased workload.
I have not outlined the entire scope and sequence of this series. (I seem to prefer working with visibility into what only the next one or two blog posts will look like.) However, I have a notion to write at least two posts. First, I plan to write about the importance of alignment when writing test items. Test items, in most cases,must align to a content standard. Second, I plan to discuss the importance of writing an item that has a realistic, grade-appropriate, and engaging context. Whenever anyone asks me what’s the most important part of writing a test item, I respond by talking about an item’s alignment and context.
Over the past 12 years I’ve learned a lot about how to craft high-quality test items. As the nation makes the transition to the Common Core State Standards, I feel compelled to share what I’ve learned. I believe that educational assessment is very important to the future of American education. A test item must cut a student’s test anxiety, issues of bias and sensitivity, and the testing environment and give that student the opportunity to show what he/she can do. I find the challenge very rewarding.
If you would like me to talk about a specific facet of crafting a high-quality test item, please leave a comment. I’d be thrilled if you helped me chart a course through this series.
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