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A Two‐Stage Method for Classroom Assessments of Essay Writing
Author(s) -
Humphry Stephen Mark,
Heldsinger Sandy
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of educational measurement
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.917
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-3984
pISSN - 0022-0655
DOI - 10.1111/jedm.12223
Subject(s) - inter rater reliability , psychology , reliability (semiconductor) , mathematics education , test (biology) , pairwise comparison , moderation , writing assessment , stage (stratigraphy) , rating scale , pedagogy , social psychology , developmental psychology , paleontology , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
To capitalize on professional expertise in educational assessment, it is desirable to develop and test methods of rater‐mediated assessment that enable classroom teachers to make reliable and informative judgments. Accordingly, this article investigates the reliability of a two‐stage method used by classroom teachers to assess primary school students’ persuasive writing. Stage 1 involves pairwise comparisons and stage 2 involves rating against calibrated exemplars from stage 1 plus performance descriptors. A high level of interrater reliability among teachers was obtained. This is consistent with previous evidence that the two‐stage method is a viable classroom assessment method without extensive training and moderation. Implications for assessment practices in education are discussed with a focus on the widely expressed desire to value professional expertise.