An examination of the validity of the mathematics exit level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
Year: 2005
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This study examines the validity of the Spring 2004 Mathematics Exit Level \nTAKS. In particular, I examined the test through three forms of evidence: content area \nspecialist surveys, statistical analysis of item-level data from 4340 students provided by \nTEA, and individual interviews conducted with thirty-four 11th grade students. These \nmultiple lines of evidence give a clear understanding of the actual constructs the test \nmeasures. \nBecause of the high-stakes nature of this exam, it is important to examine its \nvalidity closely. Assessing the validity of a test involves looking at the appropriateness, \nthe meaningfulness and the usefulness of the test through an empirical investigation into \nthe underlying constructs. Each aspect of this study has provided insight into the \nunderlying constructs of the TAKS. TEA states ten broad objectives TAKS is supposed \nto cover. Each objective is further broken down into detailed sub-objectives. The TEAstated \nobjectives and sub-objectives are used in this study as the intended constructs of \nthe test. In general, the content area specialists’ surveys did not confirm the TEA-stated \nobjectives for the test, however this could be due to nuances in the way TEA defined \nvarious sub-objectives. \nA factor analysis was conducted on the TEA data set in order to see if the items \nwould factor along the TEA-stated objectives, however since the test is designed to be \nmultidimensional, it is not surprising that the items did not factor along objectives. \nDifferential Item Functioning (DIF) was also conducted in order to determine if any \nitems were particularly problematic for various subgroups. Significant DIF was detected \nin almost one-fourth of the items usually with African American students as the \ndisadvantaged group. \nThe most useful information came from the student interview data conducted on \ntwenty of the items. Through these interviews, the true constructs the items measure were \nrevealed. In some cases the student interviews validated the TEA-stated objectives, \nhowever in many cases, the student interviews showed a different construct. It is mostly \ndue to the results of the student interviews that I was not able say the exit level TAKS is a \nvalid measure of the intended constructs.
Author: Erica Rae Slate
Language: English
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1898544687