This open access methodological book summarises existing analysing techniques using data from PIAAC, a study initiated by the OECD that assesses key cognitive and occupational skills of the adult population in more than 40 countries. The approximately 65 PIAAC datasets that has been published worldwide to date has been widely received and used by an interdisciplinary research community. Due to the complex structure of the data, analyses with PIAAC datasets are very challenging. To ensure the quality and significance of these data analyses, it is necessary to instruct users in the correct handling of the data. This methodological book provides a standardised approach to successfully implementing these data analyses. It contains examples of and tools for the analysis of the PIAAC data using different statistical approaches and software, and it offers perspectives from various disciplines. The contributing authors have hands-on experience of using PIAAC data, and/or they have conducted data analysis workshops with these data.

This state-of-the-art resource brings together the most innovative scholars and thinkers in the field of testing to capture the changing conceptual, methodological, and applied landscape of cognitively-grounded educational assessments. Offers a methodologically-rigorous review of cognitive and learning sciences models for testing purposes, as well as the latest statistical and technological know-how for designing, scoring, and interpreting results Written by an international team of contributors at the cutting-edge of cognitive psychology and educational measurement under the editorship of a research director at the Educational Testing Service and an esteemed professor of educational psychology at the University of Alberta as well as supported by an expert advisory board Covers conceptual frameworks, modern methodologies, and applied topics, in a style and at a level of technical detail that will appeal to a wide range of readers from both applied and scientific backgrounds Considers emerging topics in cognitively-grounded assessment, including applications of emerging socio-cognitive models, cognitive models for human and automated scoring, and various innovative virtual performance assessments

This handbook is the first of its kind to provide a general and comprehensive overview of virtually every aspect of International Large Scale Assessment (ILSA). It includes historical, economic, and policy perspectives, theoretical foundations, methodology, and reviews of findings from analyses of ILSA data. After decades, during which ILSAs have generated knowledge within central areas of education research and gained increased and substantial impact on educational policy, practice and research, such a broad overview for a wide-ranging audience is much needed. With contributions from authors and editors from all continents, this handbook appeals to an international audience and keeps a neutral perspective, not favoring one ILSA over another. The handbook is suitable to be read by politicians, researchers and stakeholders who are seeking an overview of ILSAs, their history and development, and both potential benefits and limitations with regard to policy implications. The reviews of findings from studies analyzing ILSA data will be of interest to stakeholders, teachers, researchers, and policymakers. Considering that the reviews extend to all fields pertaining to educational research, the book will be valuable to all researchers interested in education. Students may use the book to learn about ILSAs in the context of policy, theoretical underpinnings, or research. Moreover, the methodology section is written in a manner that is understandable and accessible for students, stakeholders, or researchers not familiar with these data. This methodology part, however, is also a valuable resource for researchers who are familiar with ILSA data, as it provides overviews of the design and sampling procedures of several ILSAs, and includes advice on methods of analysis.Even the owners of the ILSAs may find the book valuable, as it contains overviews and insights into a number of ILSAs, provides information how the data is used by the research community, and includes recommendations for future instruments.

This volume offers contributions by thought leaders from a variety of disciplines and different perspectives, which are brought together in a final chapter. The contributions give insight in the role of large-scale international assessments as change agents. As national leaders recognize the growing importance of human capital and how it is distributed, policymakers, economists and decision makers in education have become increasingly interested in results from comparative international surveys. These assessments offer important information on the development of cognitive skills and the consequences of differences in the distribution of these skills. Researchers use the data to assess the role of human capital in predicting outcomes and to identify factors that may contribute to the development of more human capital. An invaluable resource for researchers in international comparative education, policy studies, economics, civics education, educational technology, and policy makers.

Presents a comprehensive treatment of issues related to the inception, design, implementation and reporting of large-scale education assessments. In recent years many countries have decided to become involved in international educational assessments to allow them to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of their student populations. Assessments such as the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the IEA's Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS) have provided opportunities for comparison between students of different countries on a common international scale. This book is designed to give researchers, policy makers and practitioners a well-grounded knowledge in the design, implementation, analysis and reporting of international assessments. Readers will be able to gain a more detailed insight into the scientific principles employed in such studies allowing them to make better use of the results. The book will also give readers an understanding of the resources needed to undertake and improve the design of educational assessments in their own countries and regions. Implementation of Large-Scale Education Assessments: Brings together the editors’ extensive experience in creating, designing, implementing, analysing and reporting results on a wide range of assessments. Emphasizes methods for implementing international studies of student achievement and obtaining highquality data from cognitive tests and contextual questionnaires. Discusses the methods of sampling, weighting, and variance estimation that are commonly encountered in international large-scale assessments. Provides direction and stimulus for improving global educational assessment and student learning Is written by experts in the field, with an international perspective. Survey researchers, market researchers and practitioners engaged in comparative projects will all benefit from the unparalleled breadth of knowledge and experience in large-scale educational assessments gathered in this one volume.

The need for a comprehensive volume that reviews both the processes and issues involved in developing, administering, and validating large-scale assessment programs has never been greater. These programs are used for many purposes, including instructional program evaluation, promotion, certification, graduation, and accountability. One of the greatest problems we face is how to deal with special needs and bilingual populations. Examining these processes and issues is the mission of this book. It is organized into the following five sections: Introduction, Validity Issues, Technical Issues, Implementation Issues, and Epilogue. Each chapter follows a common structure: Overview of critical issues, review of relevant research, descriptions of current assessment methodologies, and recommendations for the future research and practice. Written by nationally recognized scholars,Large-Scale Assessment Programs for All Students: Validity, Technical Adequacy, and Implementation will appeal to anyone seriously involved in large scale testing, including educators, policymakers, testing company personnel, and researchers in education, psychology, and public policy.

Large-scale assessments (LSAs) play a growing role in education policy decisions, accountability, and education planning worldwide. This book focuses on central issues that are key components of successful planning, development and implementation of LSAs. The book’s main distinction is its focus on practice- based, cutting-edge research. This is achieved by having chapters co-authored by world-class researchers in collaboration with measurement practitioners. The result is a how-to book whose language is accessible to practitioners and graduate students as well as academics. No other book so thoroughly covers current issues in the field of large-scale assessment. An introductory chapter is followed by sixteen chapters that each focus on a specific issue. The content is prescriptive and didactic in nature but based on the most recent scientific research. It includes successful experiences, exemplary practices, training modules, interesting breakthroughs or alternatives, and promising innovations regarding large-scale assessments. Finally, it covers meaningful topics that are currently taking center stage such as motivating students, background questionnaires, comparability of different linguistic versions of assessments, and cognitive modeling of learning and assessment.

Education is a hot topic. From the stage of presidential debates to tonight's dinner table, it is an issue that most Americans are deeply concerned about. While there are many strategies for improving the educational process, we need a way to find out what works and what doesn't work as well. Educational assessment seeks to determine just how well students are learning and is an integral part of our quest for improved education. The nation is pinning greater expectations on educational assessment than ever before. We look to these assessment tools when documenting whether students and institutions are truly meeting education goals. But we must stop and ask a crucial question: What kind of assessment is most effective? At a time when traditional testing is subject to increasing criticism, research suggests that new, exciting approaches to assessment may be on the horizon. Advances in the sciences of how people learn and how to measure such learning offer the hope of developing new kinds of assessments-assessments that help students succeed in school by making as clear as possible the nature of their accomplishments and the progress of their learning. Knowing What Students Know essentially explains how expanding knowledge in the scientific fields of human learning and educational measurement can form the foundations of an improved approach to assessment. These advances suggest ways that the targets of assessment-what students know and how well they know it-as well as the methods used to make inferences about student learning can be made more valid and instructionally useful. Principles for designing and using these new kinds of assessments are presented, and examples are used to illustrate the principles. Implications for policy, practice, and research are also explored. With the promise of a productive research-based approach to assessment of student learning, Knowing What Students Know will be important to education administrators, assessment designers, teachers and teacher educators, and education advocates.

And policy options -- Testing in transition -- Educational testing policy: The changing federal role -- Lessons from the past: A history of educational testing in the United States -- How other countries test -- Standardized tests in schools: A primer -- Performance assessment: Methods and characteristics -- Information technologies and testing: Past, present, future -- List of acronyms -- Contractor reports.