HumRRO’s VIEW Program performs a variety of validity investigations designed to meet our clients’ specific needs.

Accuracy Verification of Assessments

  • Scoring accuracy and reliability investigations.

  • Quality assurance studies of psychometric processing.
    (parameter estimation, scaling, equating, and production of scoring tables)

  • Independently replicates testing companies’ procedures as a safeguard against errors.

Item Quality Studies

  • Studies of the alignment of test items to content standards.

  • Adherence to Universal Design principles.

  • Bias review.

  • Item quality review.
    (quality of distracters, readability of prompts, etc.)

  • Differential functioning of items for subgroups of test-takers.

Test Bias or Differential Impact Studies

  • Estimations of achievement gaps among various tested groups.

  • Estimations of gap closure or widening.

  • Investigations of the existence and magnitude of differential impact.

Construct and Criterion Validation Studies

  • Correlating one assessment with another.
    (convergent/discriminant validity)

  • Estimations of gap closure or widening.

  • Linking assessment scores with other variables.
    (e.g., grades, college admittance, job success)

  • Linking assessment scores with curricular and instructional variables.

Consequential Validity Studies

  • Investigating the intended and unintended consequences of assessments or programs.

  • Often accompanied by focus groups.

  • Interviews, surveys, etc., with various stakeholders.

Alternate Assessment Studies

Similar studies to those listed above, but targeted specifically toward assessments for those unable to take regular, non-accommodated assessments.

Developing Theories of Action

  • Assisting clients in articulating the objectives of their assessments and programs to identify the claims that need to be investigated and substantiated to obtain those objectives.

  • Using the Theory of Action as the guiding framework, we design and conduct studies to address gaps in evidence to support the claims in the Theory of Action.

Special Studies

VIEW designs studies to respond to our clients’ specific validity questions in reasoned and innovative ways.  Some of our special studies include:

  • Evaluating the impact of teacher training programs

  • Investigating the validity of teacher credentialing programs

  • Identifying predictors of college & career readiness

Andrea Sinclair - Manager, Validity Investigations in Education and the Workplace

For more information, contact:

Dr. Andrea Sinclair

Program Manager, Validity Investigation for Education & the Workplace Program