M6L3: Guide to Validation and Item Analysis

Formative Assessment

Check-ins during learning like quizzes and pre-tests that don't count for final grades, meant to spot gaps early.

Summative Assessment

Big-picture testing at the end of a unit or quarter to measure overall mastery and calculate final grades.

Content Standards

The core concepts and knowledge that learners are expected to know.

Performance Standards

What learners are actually able to do with the knowledge they've acquired.

Learning Competencies

The specific, bite-sized knowledge, skills, and attitudes taught in each lesson.

Bloom's Taxonomy (LOTS & HOTS)

A progression of cognitive skills split into Lower-Order Thinking Skills (Remembering, Understanding, Applying) and Higher-Order Thinking Skills (Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating).

Upper-Lower Group Method

Ranking student scores and taking the top 27% and bottom 27% to compare performance on test items.

Difficulty Index (Df)

The overall proportion of correct answers across both the upper and lower groups to see how easy or hard a question was.

Discrimination Index (Dx)

How well a question separates the top students from the struggling students; high positive numbers mean smart kids got it right and others missed it.

Table of Specifications (TOS)

A blueprint map that aligns your test questions with the curriculum content and cognitive levels to ensure content validity.

Peer Validation

Getting colleagues or master teachers to review your test for clear wording, accurate answer keys, and fair formatting.

Post-Hoc Empirical Validation

Looking at real student test scores and item analysis stats after the exam to throw out or fix broken questions.