Invitational Research Symposium on Through-Course Summative Assessments
February 10–11, 2011
Atlanta, GA
Within the federally funded Race to the Top Assessment Program there is a relatively new assessment design option called "through-course" assessment. This design format is defined as "one in which an assessment system component or set of components is administered periodically during the academic year." (USED 2010) Such a format would allow for testing of skills and concepts closer to the time of instruction, and could potentially be used to provide instructionally useful feedback during the school year and allow for more authentic, extended tasks within state assessment systems.
This new design option, however, also brings distinctive measurement challenges. In order to catalyze deep thinking, the K–12 Center organized a two-day research symposium to bring forward expertise on several key measurement challenges related to through-course assessments and potential solutions. A series of eight papers were presented, followed by two panel discussions and a webinar. State representatives belonging to each of the Comprehensive Assessment Consortia participated in these discussions, namely: Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). The symposium was co-hosted by ETS and 18 testing companies and organizations.
Presentation Materials
| Paper | Slides | |
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| Bennett, R. E., Kane, M. T., & Bridgeman, B. (2011) Theory of action and validity argument in the context of through-course summative assessment. |
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| Gianopulos, G. (2011) Discussion of Zwick-Mislevy and Ho papers on scaling, equating and measuring growth |
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| Heffner, S. (2011) New common assessments: Practical applications of new opportunities (Commissioned by CCSSO) |
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| Ho, A. D. (2011) Supporting growth interpretations using through-course assessments |
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| Kolen, M. J. (2011) Generalizability and reliability: Approaches for through-course assessments |
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| Sabatini, J. P., Bennett, R. E., & Deane, P. (2011) Four years of Cognitively Based Assessment of, for, and as Learning (CBAL): Learning about through-course assessment (TCA) |
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| Valencia, S. W., Pearson, P. D., & Wixson, K. K. (2011) Assessing and tracking progress in reading comprehension: The search for keystone elements in college and career readiness |
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| Wise, L. L. (2011) Picking up the pieces: Aggregating results from through-course assessments |
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| Zwick, R. & Mislevy, R. J. (2011) Scaling and linking through-course summative assessments |
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Summary Report
Jerald, C. D., Doorey, N. A., & Forgione, P. D. (2011). Putting the pieces together: Summary report of the Invitational Research Symposium on Through-Course Summative Assessments (PDF).
Videos
Panel A: State Assessment Leaders Discussion
- Rick Hess, Moderator, Director of Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
- Kris Ellington, Deputy Commissioner, Florida Department of Education (PARCC)
- Shelley Loving-Ryder, Assistant Superintendent, Virginia Department of Education
- William Herrera, Director of Test Development and Research, Wyoming Department of Education (SBAC)
Panel B: Consortia and Policy Leaders Discussion, followed by combined Panel A and B Discussion
- Rick Hess, Moderator, Director of Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
- Mitchell D. Chester, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (PARCC)
- Christopher T. Cross, Chairman, Cross & Joftus, LLC
- John Q. Easton, Director, Institute for Educational Sciences (IES)
- Angela Hinson Quick, Assistant State Superintendent, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (SBAC)
