Equity and Excellence in Educational Testing and Assessment

Equity and Excellence in Educational Testing and Assessment

Evaluation in Education and Human Services Editors: George F. Madaus, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Daniel L. Stufflebeam, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.A. Other books in the series: Madaus, G. and Stufflebeam, D.: Education Evaluation: Classic Works of Ralph W. Tyler Gifford, B: Test Policy and Test Performance Osterlind, S.: Constructing Test Items Smith, M.: Evaluability Assessment Ayers, J. and Berney, M.: A Practical Guide to Teacher Education Evaluation Hambleton, R. and Zaal, J.: Advances in Educational and Psychological Testing Gifford, B. and O'Connor, M.: Changing Assessments Gifford, B.: Policy Perspectives on Educational Testing Basarab, D. and Root, D.: The Training Evaluation Process Raney, W.M., Madaus, G.F. and Lyons, R.: The Fractured Marketplace for Standardized Testing Wing, L.C. and Gifford, B.: Policy Issues in Employment Testing Gable, R.E.: Instrument Development in the Affective Domain (2nd Edition) Kremer-Rayon, L.: Teacher Self-Evaluation Payne, David A.: Designing Educational Project and Program Evaluations

Equity and Excellence in Educational Testing and Assessment edited by Michael T. Nettles and Arie L. Nettles School of Education University of Michigan SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESSMEDIA, LLC

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-94-010-4276-5 ISBN 978-94-011-0633-7 (ebook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-0633-7 Copyright 1995 by Springer Science+Business Media New York Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1995 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover 1st edition 1995 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photo-copying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. Printed on acidjree paper.

This book is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Gregory R. Anrig Among the extraordinary characteristics that made Gregory Anrig a very special educational leader were his superb communication skills, steadfast commitment to honesty and fairness, boundless energy and enthusiasm, genuine concern for people, and his friendliness. Greg fulfilled his commitment to education and practiced his principles of leadership throughout his productive career as a history teacher (1956-60), principal (1960-64), school superintendent (1964-67), director of the Division of Equal Educational Opportunities in the U.S. Department of Education (1967-69), executive assistant to the Commissioner in the U.S. Office of Education (1969-70), director of the Institute for Learning and Teaching at the University of Massachusetts (1970-73), Commissioner of Education for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1973-81), and as President of Educational Testing Service (ETS) (1981-93). Greg also served on numerous important boards and commissions. As a champion of new forms of assessment, Greg Anrig promoted the development of computer-based testing and performance assessments at ETS designed to be used to improve teaching and learning. He also led ETS in establishing policies for the appropriate use of its tests. Greg made an important contribution to the First National Symposium on Equity and Educational Testing and Assessment, from which the contents of this book emerged. He participated in the planning process and presented remarks at the Symposium. Truly, Greg is missed by his many friends and colleagues. We will, however, continue to benefit from Greg's legacy of clear thinking, prudent judgment, strategic action, aggressive and thoughtful leadership, and his concern and advocacy for the welfare of all people.

Contents Contributing Authors Acknowledgements xi xv I IDENTIFYING EQUITY CHALLENGES IN THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATIONAL TESTING AND ASSESSMENT REFORM 1. Introduction: The Pursuit of Equity in Educational Testing and Assessment Michael T Nettles and Alison Bernstein 2. A Technological and Historical Consideration of Equity Issues Associated with Proposals to Change Our Nation's Testing Policy George Madaus 3. Diversity, Assessment, and Equity in Educational Reform Eva L. Baker and Harold F. 0 'Neil, Jr. 4. Equity Issues in Performance-Based Assessment Linda Darling-Hammond 3 23 69 89 5. Some Prerequisites for the Establishment of Equitable, Inclusive Multicultural Assessment Systems Monty Neill 115 Vll

II REFORMS IN ASSESSMENT AND TESTING: ARE NEW PRACTICES BETTER AND MORE EQUITABLE? 6. Achieving Equity: Counting on the Classroom Mary Anderson Barr and Jacqueline Cheong 7. Equity and Validity Considerations in the Design and Implemention of a Mathematics Performance Assessment: The Experience of the QUASAR Project Suzanne Lane and Edward A. Silver 161 185 8. Performance-Based Assessments: Contributor or Detractor to Equity? Linda F. Winfield 9. Equity and Excellence in Group-Administered and Performance-Based Assessments Samuel J. Meisels, Aviva Dorfman and Dorothy Steele 221 243 viii

III IMPACT OF ASSESSMENT REFORMS AT THREE LEVELS: THE CLASSROOM, THE STATE, AND THE NATION 10. Using New Fonns of Assessment to Assist in Achieving Student Equity: Experiences of the CCSSO State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards Edward D. Roeber 11. The Effect of Expectations on Achieving Equity in State-Wide Testing: Lessons from Massachusetts Elizabeth Badger 12. Toward National Standards and Testing: The Educational Equity Imperative Donald M Stewart and Howard T Everson 13. Equity Issues in Teacher Assessment Carol Anne Dwyer and Paul A. Ramsey 14. Visions of Equity in National Assessment Sylvia T Johnson 265 289 309 327 343 Index 367 IX

Contributing Authors Elizabeth Badger Director of Instructional Assessment Initiatives, The College Board Eva L. Baker Professor of Educational Psychology and Social Research Methods Co-Director, National Center for Research an Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) University of California, Los Angeles Mary Anderson Barr Co-Director, California Learning Record Project University of California, San Diego Alison R. Bernstein Director, Education and Culture Program The Ford Foundation Jacqueline Cheong Co-Director, California Learning Record Project University of California, Davis Linda Darling-Hammond Co-Director, Center for School Reform Teachers College, Columbia University A viva Dorfman Research Assistant University of Michigan Carol Anne Dwyer Senior Corporate Development Leader Educational Testing Service Xl

Howard T. Everson Chief Research Scientest The College Board Sylvia T. Johnson Professor Howard University Suzanne Lane Senior Scientist QUASAR University of Pittsburgh George F. Madaus Boisi Professor of Education & Public Policy Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation, and Educational Policy Boston College Samuel J. Meisels Associate Dean for Research Professor of Education, School of Education University of Michigan Monty Neill Associate Director National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) Michael T. Nettles Professor of Education and Public Policy School of Education University of Michigan Arie L. Nettles Assistant Professor of Education School of Education University of Michigan Harold F. O'Neil, Jr. Professor of Educational Psychology and Technology University of Southern California xii

Paul A. Ramsey Senior Corporate Development Leader School and Higher Education Programs Educational Testing Service Edward D. Roeber Project Director, State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards Council of Chief State School Officers Edward A. Silver Professor and Senior Scientist Learning Research and Development Center Director, QUASAR University of Pittsburgh Dorothy Steele Staff Developer Development Studies Project Donald M. Stewart President The College Board Linda F. Winfield Principal Research Scientist Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Disadvantaged Students The Johns Hopkins University Xlll

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book has involved collaboration among many people. We are very much appreciative for the prompt responses and the spirit of responsible cooperation exhibited by the authors of papers in this volume. We are thankful for the assistance provided by our staff Sirkka Kauffman and Christine Eldred, who have devoted a great deal of time and dedication to preparing this volume for publication. We also appreciate the financial support provided by the Ford Foundation which has made it possible to begin seriously addressing the issue of equity and educational testing and assessment. The interest in equity and excellence in assessment exhibited by Franklin Thomas, President of the Ford Foundation, Susan Berresford, Vice President for the Ford Foundation, and Alison Bemstien, Director of Education and Culture of the Ford Foundation and Barbara Hatton formerly at the Ford Foundation, and now President of South Carolina State University made this project possible. We are also grateful for the invaluable assistance of Ford Foundation staff, particularly Janice Petrovich, Melissa Carrol, Alcie Faulkner, Madeline Innis and Michelle Cole for the great support and work in facilitating the work of the writers of papers that are in this volume. Michael T. Nettles and Arie L. Nettles Ann Arbor, Michigan February 1994 xv