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Current Research Agenda

Scope 

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TEEAM's current research agenda focuses on the following areas in K-12 education in the United States: 

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  1. Accountability Systems 

  2. Measurement and Assessment Research & Practices

  3. Role of Evaluation in Test-Based Accountability 

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Outline of Current Research Agenda

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  • Exploration of the current state of theories and practices in educational accountability:

    • Situating and defining accountability in education

      • Current conceptions of purpose and structure​

      • Clarification of terms: policy-driven testing systems, reform-driven testing systems and accoutnability testign are synonymous

    • Characterizing accountability systems

      • Exploring key features of accountability models, including: performance, regulatory, market, electoral, professional and community. 

  • Considering future theories and practices in in educational accountability:

    • Re-conceptualizing and building upon Walberg's (2002) five core principles of educational accountability (i.e., independence, focus on results, user-friendliness, timeliness, and incentives), to principles for accountability systems that are designed to promote learning: 

      1. Learning-oriented assessment (LOA)

      2. Integrated instructional cycles

      3. Actionability/user-friendliness

      4. Stakeholder engagement

      5. Connection to policy

      6. Results, Rewards, Sanctions

      7. Multiple levels of score representation

      8. Team effort with different expertise

      9. Explicit scholarship of accountability

      10. Outcome-driven, consequences-based validation

    • Propose a validation roadmap for accountability​ systems, adapted from Kane's (2006, 2013) interpretive use argument (IUA). ​

      • Explore measurement documentation in current accountability systems and additional documentation requirements for achievement and learning. 

    • Exploring ​emerging constructs and methods of assessment in the next generation of policy-driven testing systems

    • Validity and validation in policy-driven accountability systems for learning 

      • Consideration of uses and consequences

      • Role of evaluation and evaluative thinking: application of logic modeling practices​

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Citations

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Kane, M. (2006). Validation. In R. L. Brennan (Ed). Educational measurement (4th edition, pp. 17-64). Washington, DC: American Council on Education/Praeger.

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Kane, M. (2013). Validating the interpretations and uses of test scores. Journal of Educational Measurement, 50, 1-73.
Journal of Educational Measurement (2013), 50(1). 

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Walberg, H. J. (2002). Principles for accountability designs. In H. J. Walberg (Ed.), School accountability (pp. 155–183). Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University Press.

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