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Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
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Biographical Sketches

Paul W. Holland (Chair), is a professor in the Graduate School of Education and the Department of Statistics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is participating in the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research Project, where he and others are working to develop new assessment techniques and evaluation methodologies for practical application in schools. He serves on a design and technical advisory committee for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Dr. Holland earned a Ph.D. degree in statistics from Stanford University.

Lisa D. Alston is a senior project assistant with the Board on Testing and Assessment. Previously, she held a variety of positions at the National Research Council, including technical auditing assistant with the Office of Internal Audit and as an administrative assistant for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. She has extensive experience in the areas of accounting and internal audit. Ms. Alston is completing work for a B.S. degree in business administration and children, family, and public policy from Trinity College, Washington, D.C.

Meryl W. Bertenthal is a senior research associate with the Board on Testing and Assessment. She is on leave from the Charlottesville, Virginia, Public Schools, where she serves as the secondary-level curriculum and instructional coordinator and the division director of testing. Her interest areas include the appropriate use of educational tests, curriculum

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×

development, gifted education, and the development of guidance and counseling services for middle and high school students. Ms. Bertenthal earned an M.A.Ed. degree from Clark University and completed a specialist program in school counseling at the University of Virginia.

Robert C. Calfee is a professor and the dean of the School of Education at the University of California, Riverside. He was formerly a professor of education and psychology in the School of Education at Stanford University. His research focuses on the effect of schooling on the intellectual potential of individuals and groups; the nature of human thought processes; the influence of language and literacy in the development of problem-solving and communication skills; the effects of testing and other educational indicators; and ability grouping, teacher assessment, and the psychology of reading. Dr. Calfee earned a Ph.D. degree in cognitive psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Michael J. Feuer is director of the Board on Testing and Assessment. His past positions include senior analyst and project director, U.S. Office of Technology Assessment, where he directed studies on testing and assessment, vocational education, and educational technology, and assistant professor, Department of Management and Organizational Sciences, at Drexel University. His major areas of interest include human resources, education, and public policy. He has published numerous articles in scholarly journals as well as in the popular press. Dr. Feuer received a B.A. degree from Queens College, City University of New York, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Bert F. Green is a professor of psychology, emeritus, at the Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of a national committee that is revising the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. He serves on the Maryland State Department of Education's psychometric council for the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program. His research concerns psychometric methods for computer-based adaptive testing, as well as performance assessment and health assessment. Dr. Green earned a Ph.D. degree in psychology from Princeton University.

John T. Guthrie is a professor in the Department of Human Development at the University of Maryland, College Park, and is the former codirector of the National Reading Research Center. His current research focuses on how classroom context facilitates the acquisition of

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×

reading as a multifaceted set of strategic motivational and conceptual processes. He serves on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Standing Committee on Reading and Writing, the original NAEP reading framework design committee, and other national committees. He has published secondary analyses of NAEP data relating reading achievement to student background and classroom instructional characteristics. Dr. Guthrie earned a Ph.D. degree in educational psychology from the University of Illinois.

F. Cadelle Hemphill is a senior research associate with the Board on Testing and Assessment. Previously, she worked as a senior program associate at the American Institutes for Research, Education Statistics Services Institute, where she managed the Advisory Council on Education Statistics activity. As a senior project associate at the Council of Chief State School Officers, she codirected the annual large-scale assessment conference and managed the Education Information Advisory Committee. Her research interests include educational assessment as it relates to education policy and reform. She holds an A.B. degree in public policy studies from Duke University.

Viola C. Horek is administrative associate of the Board on Testing and Assessment. Before joining the board, she worked at the Board on Agriculture and the Committee on Education Finance of the National Research Council. Previously, she worked for the city of Stuttgart, Germany, as an urban planner and for the U.S. Department of Defense in Germany. Ms. Horek received an M.A. degree in architecture and urban planning from the University of Stuttgart.

Richard M. Jaeger is the Nations Bank professor of educational research methodology and the director of the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. He is past president of the National Council on Measurement in Education. His research is concerned with educational measurement and applied statistics. He is a member of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Validity Studies Panel. Dr. Jaeger earned an M.S. degree in mathematical statistics and a Ph.D. in educational research methodology from Stanford University.

Patricia Ann Kenney is a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC). She

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×

is codirector of two projects related to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) in mathematics, one of which involves the development of a process through which the content of state-level mathematics assessments and NAEP can be compared. Previous research includes work related to the verification of the content and curricular validity of the NAEP Trial State Assessment in Mathematics and issues pertaining to the learning of college-level mathematics. Dr. Kenney earned a Ph.D. degree in mathematics education, with specializations in mathematical statistics and educational measurement, from the University of Texas at Austin.

Vonda L. Kiplinger is an assessment specialist for the Colorado Department of Education Student Assessment Program. Her early research focused on linking statewide tests to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Currently, she is investigating the feasibility of linking large-scale state assessments to the NAEP and TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study) and is examining the Colorado NAEP-TIMSS linkage anomaly. Dr. Kiplinger earned a Ph.D. degree in research and evaluation methodology from the University of Colorado School of Education.

Nancy Kober is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant specializing in education and science. She has written and edited dozens of publications for government agencies, nonprofit organizations, private foundations, and trade publishers. She was a contributor to and editor of a national study of educational testing produced by the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment. She also she teaches workshops in writing skills to federal executives and managers. Previously, Ms. Kober served as a legislative specialist for the U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education.

Daniel M. Koretz is a senior social scientist at the RAND Institute on Education and Training in Washington, D.C., and a professor of educational research, measurement, and evaluation at Boston College. A primary focus of his work is educational assessment, particularly as it relates to educational policy and reform. His research interests include the diverse effects of assessment programs on schooling and learning, the quality of information yielded by both conventional and innovative assessments, and evaluations of indicators of elementary and secondary

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×

mathematics and science education. Dr. Koretz received a Ph.D. degree in developmental psychology from Cornell University.

Frederick C. Mosteller is professor emeritus of statistics at Harvard University and serves as the director of the Technology Assessment Program at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. His research interests focus on theoretical statistics and its applications to social science, medicine, public policy, and industry. Dr. Mosteller received a Ph.D. degree in mathematics from Princeton University.

Peter J. Pashley is the director of psychometrics at the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in Newtown, Pennsylvania. His current research efforts are centered on psychometric methods, particularly item response theory, linking proficiency scales and assessments, computer-based testing, and psychometric models for item response time data. He has participated in two large-scale linking studies: the first linked the International Assessment of Education Progress (IAEP) to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and the second linked the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to NAEP. Dr. Pashley received a Ph.D. degree in quantitative psychology from McGill University.

Doris Redfield is an educational consultant specializing in issues related to assessment, standards, evaluation, and related educational policy. She formerly served as director of assessment for the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education. Her current work is focused on the development of technical guidelines for large-scale assessments; standards setting, particularly as it relates to Title I legislation; professional development pertaining to new national, federal, state, and local student assessment initiatives; and issues surrounding the assessment of special needs and limited English proficient students. Dr. Redfield received a Ph.D. degree in educational psychology, research, measurement, and evaluation from the University of Arizona.

William F. Tate is associate professor of mathematics education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is a senior researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. His current area of research focuses on opportunity-to-learn issues in mathematics education. Other research interests include

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×

mathematics education reform, developing models for mathematical technology, and mathematics assessment. Dr. Tate received a Ph.D. degree in mathematics education from the University of Maryland.

David Thissen is a professor of psychology, director of the graduate program in quantitative psychology, and the acting director of the L.L. Thurstone Psychometric Laboratory at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His research interests include psychometrics and item response theory, models for human growth and development, and graphics and statistics in psychological contexts. He is currently investigating issues related to linking North Carolina educational assessment test results to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scale. Dr. Thissen received a Ph.D. degree in behavioral sciences from the University of Chicago.

Ewart A.C. Thomas is a professor of psychology at Stanford University, having previously served a term as dean of the university's School of Humanities and Sciences. His research interests include the development and application of mathematical and statistical models to many areas of psychology and social sciences, with particular focus on signal detection, information processing, motivation, assessment of group differences, parent-infant interaction, categorization, and interrater reliability. He is also pursuing research in theoretical population biology, the dynamics of language variation, law and social sciences, and economic planning in developing countries. Dr. Thomas received a Ph.D. degree in statistics from the University of Cambridge, England.

Lauress L. Wise is president of the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO). His research interests focus on issues related to testing and test use policy. He recently served on the National Academy of Education's Panel for the Evaluation of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Trial State Assessment and is currently serving on the National Research Council's Committee on the Evaluation of NAEP. Prior to joining HumRRO, he directed research and development of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) for the U.S. Department of Defense. In that capacity, he oversaw a study investigating the feasibility of linking ASVAB and NAEP mathematics scores. Dr. Wise received a Ph.D. degree in mathematical psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×
Page 115
Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×
Page 116
Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×
Page 117
Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 1999. Uncommon Measures: Equivalence and Linkage Among Educational Tests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6332.
×
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The issues surrounding the comparability of various tests used to assess performance in schools received broad public attention during congressional debate over the Voluntary National Tests proposed by President Clinton in his 1997 State of the Union Address. Proponents of Voluntary National Tests argue that there is no widely understood, challenging benchmark of individual student performance in 4th-grade reading and 8th-grade mathematics, thus the need for a new test. Opponents argue that a statistical linkage among tests already used by states and districts might provide the sort of comparability called for by the president's proposal.

Public Law 105-78 requested that the National Research Council study whether an equivalency scale could be developed that would allow test scores from existing commercial tests and state assessments to be compared with each other and with the National Assessment of Education Progress.

In this book, the committee reviewed research literature on the statistical and technical aspects of creating valid links between tests and how the content, use, and purposes of education testing in the United States influences the quality and meaning of those links. The book summarizes relevant prior linkage studies and presents a picture of the diversity of state testing programs. It also looks at the unique characteristics of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Uncommon Measures provides an answer to the question posed by Congress in Public Law 105-78, suggests criteria for evaluating the quality of linkages, and calls for further research to determine the level of precision needed to make inferences about linked tests. In arriving at its conclusions, the committee acknowledged that ultimately policymakers and educators must take responsibility for determining the degree of imprecision they are willing to tolerate in testing and linking. This book provides science-based information with which to make those decisions.

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