Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (Revised)

A note from the Working Group of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices:
The Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (Code) prepared by the Joint Committee on Testing Practices (JCTP) has just been revised for the first time since its initial introduction in 1988.
The revision of the Code was inspired primarily by the revision of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, NCME, 1999) and recent changes in testing practices in a variety of professions.
The revised Code (JCTP, 2004) has been endorsed by all seven member associations of the Joint Committee, which includes representatives of the National Council on Measurement in Education, as well as the American Counseling Association, American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, National Association of School Psychologists, and National Association of Test Directors. The mission of the JCTP is to provide "a means by which professional organizations and test publishers can work together to improve the use of tests in assessment and appraisal."
The revised Code is likely to continue having a major impact on the development and use of testing and assessment in education. It is presented in this issue of Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice and may be reproduced in whole or in part without fees or permission, provided that any reproduction includes appropriate citation. Additional information about the Code may be obtained from: Joint Committee on Testing Practices, Science Directorate, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242.     

实践教育学的探索

在《反思性教学》《实践教育学》《理解教育论》等著作中，我们能看出一种有特色的实践教育学。实践教育学探讨的根本问题是教师“如何发展”与“如何教”的问题。由根本问题衍生出了诸如有效教学的问题、有效学习的问题、增进理解消除误解的问题、反思性教学的问题等一系列下位性问题。实践教育学的探索有一系列前提性的信念。这些信念也是实践教育学的主要成分或者主要观点，其中主要关涉到教育教学、教师、师生关系诸方面。研讨自己设定的基本问题，开发相对稳定的解题模式，是实践教育学的志向之一。实践教育学开发的模式有“教师知能转化”和“创读反思，多重循环”两大教学模式。实践教育学秉持为教师指津的宏旨，在所关心的主要问题上，都有些颇见实效的策略。实践教育学是在深厚的理论基础上，结合对中国教师发展和基础教育实践中的若干主要问题的思考，建构起来的一个理论体系，有六大特色：情感先行、攻心为术、追求效率、追因溯源、操作指南、经验培育。     

Deconstructing CHC

ABSTRACT

Twenty-five years after the introduction of Carroll’s (1993) Three Stratum (3S) theory of intelligence and McGrew’s (1997) subsequent synthesis of 3S with the extended Gf-Gc / Horn-Cattell theory, the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory represents the prevailing framework by which the structure of human cognitive and intellectual abilities is understood. This commentary reviews, discusses, and supplements the critical examinations of CHC theory appearing in this special issue of Applied Measurement in Education. After recounting the historical foundations and structural framework of CHC, a series of challenges to this theory are compiled including its weak explanatory capacity, its failure to make testable predictions, its enmeshment with a single measurement instrument (i.e., the Woodcock–Johnson), the inconsistent independent replication of its factor structure, and most importantly, its undemonstrated evidential value for identification and intervention with students with specific learning disorders (SLDs). The inherent limitations of any psychological theory developed or tested primarily from factor analyses are enumerated. Solutions are proposed to advance psychological science in areas related to CHC theory.     

Estimating Linear Size and Scale: Body rulers

The National Science Education Standards emphasise the use of concepts and skills that cut across the science domains. One of these cross‐cutting areas is measurement. Students should know measurement systems, units of measurement, tools and error in measurement as well as the importance of measurement to scientific endeavours. Even though measurement is an essential skill, little is known about how students estimate and use measurement in different contexts. This study examines the impact of teaching students to use their bodies as rough measurement tools (body rulers) on their ability to estimate linear measurements. Nineteen middle school students participated in metric intervention tasks and completed a pre‐instruction and a post‐instruction Linear Measurement Assessment. Results showed that teaching students to use rough body measures as tools (a body ruler) for estimation had a significant influence on their estimation accuracy. After instruction, students were better able to estimate the sizes of objects, use their body in making estimations of size, and estimate while touching an object or pacing a distance. Furthermore, proportional reasoning was significantly correlated with students’ post‐instruction scores on the Linear Measurement Assessment.     

考试分数等值的新框架

对考试分数进行等值处理不仅是保证测验信度和公平性的重要环节,也是建立题库和实现计算机化自适应性考试的核心环节。由美国教育协会(ACE)和全美教育测量学会(NCME)联合组织编写的《教育测量》一书被称为教育测量领域中的"圣经"。在2006年出版的《教育测量》(第四版)中提出了一个关于考试分数等值的新框架。本文介绍了这一新框架,并结合作者多年从事考试分数等值的实践,对等值问题进行了讨论。     

义务教育财政效率评价:方法及比较

"效率财政"是各国政府所追求的目标。义务教育财政投入应该和教育产出尤其是教育质量的提高联系在一起,如何准确地计量义务教育财政效率近年来成为国内学术界一个热点难点问题,主要的评价方法有指标法、教育增值法和前沿效率分析方法。这几种方法具有不同的适用性条件和优缺点。比较而言,指标法适于对政府评价,而教育增值法和前沿效率分析方法更加适合对学校的评价。教育增值法因其有许多优点,将是未来学校效率研究的一个热点,应该得到更多的关注。     

NCME Members' Suggestions for Recruiting New Measurement Professionals

During February and March 2001, a survey on ideas for recruiting new educational measurement professionals was posted on the website of the National Council on Measurement in Education     

QUALITY SUPPORT: MEASUREMENT AND MYTH

This paper discusses the major dilemmas arising in practice from attempts to pursue the latest policies of quality assurance in teacher education. The introduction fills in the background to these latest proposals and models, from “associative quality” to “production quality”. The paper then proceeds to discuss the issues raised by the new policies under the headings of “measurement” and “myth”. Measurement problems are discussed by reference to a range of debates in classroom studies. It is argued that teacher educators can hardly be assumed to be ignorant of these debates, and, to reinforce the point, materials are selected from the menu offered to students on the well‐known Open University's MA in Education course. The role and functions of organisational myths in institutions of higher education are then out’ lined. The discussion centres on whether the new measurement regimes will demythologise these institutions, and if so, whether this will be a good thing. Finally, the paper concludes with some thoughts about the future, and ends with an argument for concrete investigations of the (micro)political and social aspects of teacher education.     

应用型本科教育:理想图景与现实困境

应用型本科是以专业为中心、安于教学中心地位、以为地方区域经济发展培养综合性应用型人才的高等教育类型,是以学科为中心、以培养拔尖创新人才的研究型大学和以技能和职业为中心、以培养基础技能型人才的高职院校的重要补充。但从现实来看,数量比重最大、历史状况复杂的应用型本科处在"985"、"211"高校与高职"211"的夹缝地位,目前尚没有专门的细化分类研究,应用型本科要在理论上获得自治、名称上响亮打出旗号,运行上得到"名正言顺"、"名副其实"的政策与资源支持,尚需要国家、省市级政府以及学校自身在内外部治理各方面进行改革。     

Measurement Driven Instruction: A Closer Look

The author discusses conditions under which Measurement Driven Instruction might and might not produce its expected results. He considers how test stakes, Performance standards, and the nature of content assessment interrelate to influence the operation of MDI programs. In discussing instructional expectations and realities as they apply to MDI, he argues that under some conditions instruction driven by measurement measurement corrupt the measurement process.     

儿童早期空间测量学习中的核心概念与能力

测量是数学的主题之一,测量能力的发展对儿童数学认知能力的发展有重要影响.儿童获得空间测量能力必须掌握单位、空间概念和数概念等核心概念;儿童熟练进行空间测量活动必须具备传递性推理、选择适当测量策略等核心能力.具体而言,儿童最早掌握的是一维空间的概念.在一维空间测量中,儿童较早掌握的核心概念是端点,同时必须能够准确找到表征测量对象量的特征的具体知觉特征.儿童二维和三维空间概念的形成要经历从不理解到理解、从不稳定到稳定的复杂发展过程,因此相当一部分3～6岁儿童认识的二维和三维空间实质都是一维的.关于单位概念,儿童必须明白作为测量单位的量须与待测定的量是同类量、测量单位的大小与数量之间存在反函数关系、测量单位须大小相等等内容.在测量活动中,儿童掌握关于数的概念实质是学会对连续量进行离散化的心理加工,这能有效巩固和扩展儿童对数概念的理解,使其对数的实际意义有更广泛和深入的认识.传递性推理能力是儿童准确测量的基础,它的形成标志着儿童能够借助中介物进行两个物体的空间比较.选择适当的测量策略是保证儿童有效测量的前提.儿童在空间测量活动中使用的策略主要有目测、并列或重叠比较、使用非标准单位测量、使用标准工具测量等.在当前儿童数学教育实践中,教师因为不清楚上述核心概念与核心能力,往往只是把测量看作一种操作性的活动,只重视教给儿童一组关于测量的程序性知识,是不利于儿童数学思维能力与素质的发展、数学问题解决能力的提高的.     

农民工社会认同问题辨析

目前,理论界对农民工社会认同问题存在一系列不准确甚至错误的表述。有鉴于此,我们需要对农民工社会认同问题的核心概念进行认真辨析,并从构成要素、主要表现、新生代等方面对农民工社会认同问题的结构进行深入解析,从测量方法、转化途径、客观评价等方面对农民工社会认同问题的后果进行仔细分析。     

关于工程硕士招生与办学思路的分析与思考

设立工程硕士专业学位是我国学位与研究生教育和发展的一项重大的改革举措,经过十余年的发展,我国工程硕士教育获得了巨大的进步。目前加快专业学位硕士教育发展步伐,优化研究生培养结构,是当前研究生教育的重大任务。如何做好工程硕士办学是以工为主的高校面临的一个普遍问题。本文通过总结燕山大学十余年来工程硕士的办学经验,对今后的工程硕士教育办学思路提出了建议。     

Trust,Science Education and Vaccines

Science & Education - The issue of trust in science has come to the fore in recent years. I focus on vaccines, first looking at what is known about trust in vaccines and then concentrating on...     

科学教育专业地学类课程构建探讨

在充分考察高师科学教育专业地球科学类课程设置依据的基础上,简单介绍了地球科学学科体系。以此为据,通过考察现阶段我国各高师院校对地学类课程设置的总体情况,发现了一些相关问题。从专业的培养目标、学生的发展、地球科学学科知识的特点入手探讨了地学类课程设置原则、提出了一些相关具体课程与内容设置的建设性意见。     

GI Forum v. Texas Education Agency: Observations for States

Seven conclusions for professionals who administer state assessment programs are drawn from the GI Forum v. Texas Education Agency ruling: (a) the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education (1999) standards are appropriate to use; (b) items showing different p values for subgroups may be used if they are selected as adequate for sound educational reasons; (c) a cut score setting process should be educationally justified; (d) a high-stakes testing program can appropriately address unfair access to education; (e) multiple opportunities to pass satisfies the standard that a single test score should not be the sole basis for a high-stakes decision; (f) a conjunctive decision-making model can appropriately motivate both students and schools; and (g) an 80% pass rate criterion applied to eventual, as opposed to initial, success rates for subgroups is a reasonable threshold for adverse impact. Caution is recommended because circumstances in other states may not parallel those in Texas in important ways.     

应用气象学专业“大气探测学”课程教学改革探索--以“降水测量”为例

面向国防科技大学气象海洋学院“应用气象学”本科专业的“大气探测学”教学需求,在课程目标、课程内容、教学方法、评价模式等方面开展了教学改革探索。剖析了大气探测理论与实践结合、基础与前沿并重等特点,引入任务型教学、结构教学法和项目化学习等教学方法。并以“降水测量”一课为例,强调以大气物理为基础,以先进电子技术为工具,引导学生思考从大气探测基本原理到切实可行的仪器之间的技术工程问题,提升学生提出问题、解决问题及寻找答案的自主能力。     

应用型本科教育理论与实践创新

随着时代的发展以及经济水平的提升,社会各界对各类专业型人才的需求量在不断增加,而高等院校作为专业人才的培养基地,也逐渐开始了应用型本科教育模式的转型。但是,我国应用型本科教育模式的实施时间较短,其中仍然存在很多问题和不足之处,文章简单分析了应用型本科教育的概念及其要点,并对应用型本科教育的实践进行了简单探讨。     

Sustaining advocacy and action on women��s participation and gender equality in adult education

This article gives an overview of the development of gender equality and women??s participation in adult learning and education in the history of the International Conferences on Adult Education (CONFINTEA). Though the equality of rights was highlighted throughout the various conferences, the first Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) observed that a gender gap in the participation in adult learning and education still persisted in 2009. This is especially remarkable with regard to the impact of CONFINTEA V in 1997, because it focused on the issue of women??s participation and gender equality. A review of the CONFINTEA VI programme elements and the national reports prepared by UNESCO Member States in 2008 reveals that gender issues have to some extent moved from the centre of attention to the periphery. This article therefore tries to explore how gender principles are acknowledged in CONFINTEA VI and its follow-up.     

A value‐added study of the impact of science curriculum reform using the National Pupil Database

This article compares the examination performance of students following General Certificate of Secondary Education Applied Science and Double Award science on a value‐added basis. It uses data from the National Pupil Database, which are analysed by a variety of methods, including multilevel modelling. It argues that the claims made within Office for Standards in Education reports on the impact of the new Applied Science course are inaccurate, and in some cases positively wrong. The authors' analysis, based on the second (2003–05) cohort of students following the course, shows that students of lower attainment at Key Stage 3 appear to perform better than would have been predicted from their Key Stage 3 attainment, but that higher attaining pupils perform less well. Schools offering Applied Science show greater diversity in the value‐added effects they produce than they do with Double Award science. The article argues that analyses of this kind are of value in seeking to understand the impact of curriculum reform, but that they are dangerous as a generalized guide for policy. They must be complemented by work in schools in which the sources of the effects observed and of school diversity are examined.