Chapter 4 - Validity (Classroom Assessments - Popham)

Curricular Aim

Content Standard

Validity

The degree to which all the accumulated evidence supports the intended interpretation of test scores for the proposed use.

content underrepresentation

A shortcoming of a test that fails to capture important aspects of the construct being measured.

construct irrelevant variance

A tests weakness in which test takers' scores are influenced by factors that are extraneous to the construct being assessed with a specific purpose in mind.

Validity argument

A justification of the degree to which accumulated evidence and theory support the proposed inferences (interpretations) about a student's test performances.

4 sources of validity evidence

test content, response processes, internal structure, & relations to other variables

Content Validity (test-content)

This validity evidence stems from the content assessed by a test's items or the procedures employed to choose that content.

Response Process Validity Evidence

Evidence that comes from analyses of individual test takers' responses such as when students are, after having being tested, questioned about their thought processes during an examination.

Internal-Structure Validity Evidence

The extent to which the internal organization of a test confirms an accurate assessment of the construct supposedly being measured.

criterion variable

An external variable that serves as the to-be-predicted target for a predictor exam, such as an aptitude test.

Test-criterion relationship

When the validity evidence regarding a predictor test, such as an aptitude exam, is collected with respect to the empirical relationship between scores on the predictor test and the student's status on a criterion variable such as the student's subsequent grades.

Relations to Other Variables Validity Evidence

The degree to which and inferred construct appears to exist and has been accurately measured for the intended use.

convergent evidence of validity

When students' performances on a test are positively related to their performances on other tests intended to measure the same variable or, perhaps, similar variables.

face validity

The appearance of a test seems to coincide with the use which a test is being put out.

consequential validity

Refers to whether the uses of test are valid.

Criterion-related evidence of Validity

Evidence demonstrating the systematic relationship of test scores on a predictor test to a predicted criterion variable.

Construct-related evidence of Validity

Empirical evidence that (1) supports the posited existence of a hypothetical construct (2) indicates an assessment device does, in fact, measure that construct.