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Integrated, Comprehensive Alignment as a Foundation for Measuring Student Progress
Author(s) -
Martineau Joseph,
Paek Pamela,
Keene John,
Hirsch Thomas
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
educational measurement: issues and practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.158
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1745-3992
pISSN - 0731-1745
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-3992.2007.00086.x
Subject(s) - blueprint , computer science , foundation (evidence) , test (biology) , scale (ratio) , focus (optics) , engineering , mechanical engineering , political science , paleontology , physics , optics , quantum mechanics , law , biology
This paper describes a comprehensive model of alignment that provides a foundation for meaningful reporting of students' academic progress over time. The model includes both horizontal and vertical alignment as integral parts of the development of content standards, test blueprints, items, item pools, instruments, performance level descriptors, and performance standards. It also explains why comprehensively integrating alignment into development processes results in procedural efficiencies and gains in validity evidence for the measurement of student progress. Cautions against reducing focus on content in favor of alignment are given. All parts of the comprehensive alignment model described in this paper either have been or soon will be implemented in a large‐scale assessment program.