Assessment Vocabulary

A teacher-constructed list of characteristics used as criteria for ranking the quality of students' work, along with some type of guide for scoring or grading

Process of gathering and using qualitative and quantitative data to make a judgment of value, worth, merit, or effectiveness. This can be for an individual student, group, class, grade level, department, school, school district, or program

The extent to which scores, tests, programs, or assessments are accurate, dependable, stable, consistent, and free from error over a period of time. This includes the way they are administered, implemented, and scored

A relationship, correspondence, or connection between two things. This is not a cause-and-effect relationship; two items may be strongly "connected" without one causing the other

The extent to which a score differs from a certain reference point, usually the norm, midpoint, or average

A combination of natural and acquired talents, interests, and abilities that a student may innately possess or have learned. These usually indicate the ability to learn more and develop proficiency in a given area, subject, or skill

Agreed-upon values used to measure levels of attainment that students should work toward in content, process, performance, or lifelong learning—specific indicators of what students should know and be able to do due to their education

Doing the same thing every time. Accuracy and predictability in measurement over time with different students and scorers in different environments

Consistency in scoring no matter who the scorer is. As such, it includes differences of opinion among scorers as to whether responses are scored as right or wrong

A broad general term used to describe any systematic approach or plan for gathering, using, synthesizing, and evaluating data to find out more about a student, establish the effectiveness of curriculum, instruction, and program, determine strengths and weaknesses, appraise ability and performance and see what has been learned