Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Math Validation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District and WestEd present redesigned validation test for accelerated middle‑school math; board to monitor outcomes
Summary
District staff and WestEd explained a rebuilt spring validation assessment to identify middle‑school students eligible for accelerated math pathways. Presenters described item development, high reliability (>0.9), cut‑score methods, and both concurrent and predictive validity evidence; trustees asked for longitudinal and subgroup analyses.
District assessment leaders and WestEd presented the design, validation and early evidence for a redesigned optional spring validation assessment intended to identify rising sixth, seventh and eighth graders for accelerated math placement.
What was presented: WestEd’s director of assessment, Dr. Sarah Quesson, said the test was developed to align with the district’s condensed three‑year middle‑school pathway and to reduce burden on students and teachers. The process included new item writing and pilot testing with on‑course students, psychometric review (item difficulty, item‑total correlations, and reliability), and a cut‑score process that combined contrasting‑groups analyses with impact projections showing how pass rates change under different cut‑scores.
Evidence and standards: Dr. Quesson described following professional testing standards (AERA/APA/NCME) and noted the form reliability was in the 0.9 range; she said WestEd conducted concurrent validity checks against external measures and predictive validity studies showing that students who passed the validation test generally earned higher grades when placed in accelerated courses.
District questions and board response: Trustees asked how passing scores were selected, whether the scoring would be curve‑based (it is not), how multiple forms would be equated (future Item Response Theory plans), and what longitudinal monitoring will look like. District staff said the current operational score is a raw sum score with form‑specific cut scores set using psychometric criteria; the district plans to collect year‑over‑year data to compare long‑term outcomes and subgroup performance (equity analysis) and will report findings back to the board.
What families should know: The validation assessment is optional, administered in spring, and intended to place students only when evidence suggests they will be successful in an accelerated sequence. District staff said outreach, FAQs and school‑level communication will explain the process to families; implementation of placements will include supports and monitoring.
Next steps: The district will publish the research brief WestEd prepared, continue to collect concurrent and predictive data, pursue additional equating methods if multiple forms are added, and track long‑term outcomes for students placed through the validation process.
Ending: Trustees thanked WestEd and district staff for a rigorous, transparent process and requested follow‑up reports on longitudinal performance and subgroup equity.
