Assessment Handbook – Standardized tests

 

Definition: 

 

            Standardized tests may be norm-referenced or criterion-referenced.

 

Advantages:

 

• The tests have been developed and tested by others, so the faculty do not have to spend time developing tests or other measures;
• The tests may be scored by the commercial company or testing agency, thus saving faculty time;
• Most tests, especially norm-referenced tests, can provide comparisons with groups of other students, thus enabling the faculty to determine whether they are satisfied with their program or not;
• Professional programs that are expected to meet national or state standards may find the standardized tests useful, even if they are not required by accrediting associations.

 

Disadvantages:

 

• A standardized test may not be constructed or weighted in ways that correlate with your particular academic program, thus decreasing the value of comparisons or components of the test;
• Student motivation to do well on the test may be very low unless it is a high stakes test—that is, unless it affects whether students proceed in the program or not or unless it counts toward an actual grade;
• Some students experience high anxiety in taking high stakes tests and may not be able to demonstrate their real abilities and knowledge;
• The results of standardized tests may not easily be disaggregated in ways that faculty can use in determining how effective components of their program are;
• Tests designed to make admissions decisions (e.g., the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and GMAT) do not necessarily measure student knowledge, ability, and values, but, rather, are designed to predict the potential for success in the professional program; even then, the degree of predictive power tends to be limited only to the first semester in such programs;
• Standardized tests cost money:  either the student or the institution must pay for them, and, given the disadvantages summarized above, the expense may not warrant the return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Varieties of Standardized Tests:

 

Norm-referenced:  Norm-referenced tests rank-order students to demonstrate achievement differences and are useful for placing students in appropriate courses or for pointing students toward special instructional programs, such as tutoring.

 

Criterion-referenced:   Criterion-referenced tests are designed to compare groups of students to groups of other students.  They can establish performance levels on specific goals. 

 

Commercial tests available:  ETS’s Major Field Achievement Tests can be used for specific disciplines.  General education outcomes can be measured through such tests as the ACT CAAP or ETS’s Academic Profile.  Whether the comparison groups used in reporting the results are appropriate for Skidmore is an important criterion.  Analyses of the content of various general education tests are available in the literature.

 

Selecting and using standardized tests:

 

1. Determine the specific broad learning objectives for the academic program;
2. List the specific knowledge, skills, and/or values that you might want to measure through a value-added process;
3. Review available standardized tests to determine which correlates the most with your particular program;
4. Determine whether the results can be disaggregated in ways that correlate with your program goals;
5. Determine how the tests will be paid for;
6. Arrange for the purchase and administration of the test;
7. Determine when and how the Department faculty will analyze the results of the test in relation to your curriculum.