Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id fAJ0td008843; Sun, 18 Nov 2001 19:55:39 -0500 (EST) Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 19:55:39 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <27.1e42cfd9.2929b231@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: KathleenBombach@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:6729] Re: funders wanting measurements X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 7.0 for Windows US sub 10021 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_27.1e42cfd9.2929b231_boundary" Status: O Content-Length: 3433 Lines: 47 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Terry: You are talking about regression toward the mean, a statistical phenomenon in testing. Individuals who test below the mean (average) the first time they are tested are more likely to score closer to the mean the next time they are tested (i.e., they "improve"). Individuals who score above the mean on the first test are likely to see their scores drop towards the mean (i.e., they do "worse" than when they enrolled) the second time they take the test. This is purely a statistcal artifact. To control for this, test makers use time intervals between testing sessions and different versions of tests for retakes. Again, it is a breach of professional ethics to ignore the test maker's instructions on retests, including observing proper time intervals and using the appropriate version. This is serious, and can result in lawsuits as well as damage to your program and students. Suppose your program does not follow the proper testing protocol and the student is denied entrance into a vocational program substantially or partly based on a test score (I have seen this happen). That student has standing to sue for entrance into the program. It has always concerned me that non-formal education programs (and some formal ones) do not include professional development on the ethics of teaching and testing, administration, learner records, etc. since so many of us come from other fields where our background education will not have addressed these issues. Kathleen Bombach
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