Multiple Measures: Accurate Ways to Assess Student Achievement

A valuable guide! Combines multiple genre of assessment into a meaningful and communicative whole. This approach can be used to both guide student instruction and justify and allocate resources."
Edith L. Hunsberger, Associate in Professional Examinations
New York State Education Department, Delmar

"The authors offer administrators and policymakers specific examples of how to actually combine multiple measures to answer questions of accountability."
Ken Schatmeyer, Consultant
Center for Curriculum & Assessment; Ohio Department of Education, Columbus

A pragmatic, effective guide to developing standards-based accountability systems!

This practical guide for educators and administrators shows how to measure teaching and learning accurately with multiple measures. Developed by three of the field′s best-known authorities, from their work with 130 school districts, this easy-to-use approach includes strategic handouts, reports, graphs and charts, and communiqués that will help you create an effective assessment program and end the struggle to meet federal requirements.

Step-by-step explanations, examples, and tips on implementation are included for challenging areas that educators have identified:

• Using terminology correctly
• Selecting reliable, valid, and fair measures
• Gathering, disaggregating, and analyzing data
• Understanding the limitations of testing
• Aligning content standards with instruction and assessment
• Limitations of norm-referenced tests
• All populations in all assessments

All tables and examples used in the book are derived from real data derived from real schools. The information is easy to understand and offers a concise view of critical issues in education. An essential resource for educators and administrators.

John Hollingsworth is president of DataWORKS Educational Research, a company originally created to use real data to improve student achievement. Although DataWORKS started by analyzing learning outcomes (test scores), it soon refocused towards analyzing learning inputs (classroom instructional practices).  DataWORKS now focuses mainly on providing staff development to schools on classroom instruction.  John is an active researcher and presenter and has published numerous articles in educational publications.  He spends much of his time on the road training teachers.

Dr. Silvia Ybarra, Ed.D., began her career in education as a physics and chemistry teacher at Roosevelt High School in Fresno, California.  Next, Silvia became principal of Wilson Middle School in Exeter, California, which under her leadership became a prestigious Distinguished School.  Silvia was then named assistant superintendent of Coalinga-Huron School District. Her focus progressed from helping one classroom to helping one school to helping an entire district.  Silvia is the head researcher at DataWORKS.