Educational Measurement

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Measurement
The process by which
information about the
attributes or
characteristics of
things are determined
and differentiated.

3 Common statements involved
in measurement
1. Identify and defining the quality or attribute
that is to be measured.
2. Determining a set of operations by which the
attribute may be made manifest and
perceivable.
3. Establishing a set of procedures or definitions
for translating observations into quantitative
statements of degree or amount.
(Thorndike & Hagen, 1977)

Evaluation
A process of summing
up the results of
measurements or
tests, giving them
some meaning based
on value judgments.
(Hopkins & Stanley,
1981)

Evaluation
From an educational
standpoint, evaluation
may be defined as a
systematic process
determining the extent
to which instructional
objectives are
achieved by pupils.
(Gronlund, 1981)

What is EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT?
Refers to the use of educational
assessments and the analysis of
data such as scores obtained
from educational assessments
to infer the abilities and
proficiencies of students.

What is EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT?
The approaches overlap with
those in psychometrics.
Educational measurement is
the assigning of numerals to
traits such as achievement,
interest, attitudes, aptitude,
intelligence and performance.

Measurement V.S. Evaluation (Is
it?)
MEASUREMENT
• Process of quantifying individual’sProcess of quantifying individual’s
achievement, personality, attitudes,achievement, personality, attitudes,
habits and skillshabits and skills
• Quantification appraisal of observableQuantification appraisal of observable
phenomenaphenomena
• Process of assigning symbols toProcess of assigning symbols to
dimensions of phenomenadimensions of phenomena
• An operation performed on the physicalAn operation performed on the physical
world by an observerworld by an observer
• Process by which information about theProcess by which information about the
attributes or characteristics of things areattributes or characteristics of things are
determined and differentiateddetermined and differentiated
EVALUATION
• QualitativeQualitative aspect of determining the outcomesaspect of determining the outcomes
of learning.of learning.
• Process ofProcess of rankingranking with respect to attributes orwith respect to attributes or
traittrait
• AppraisingAppraising the extent of learningthe extent of learning
• JudgingJudging effectiveness of educ. experienceeffectiveness of educ. experience
• InterpretingInterpreting andand analyzinganalyzing changes in behaviorchanges in behavior
• DescribingDescribing accurately quantity and quality ofaccurately quantity and quality of
thingthing
• SummingSumming up results of measurement or testsup results of measurement or tests
givinggiving meaningmeaning based onbased on value judgmentsvalue judgments
• Systematic process of determining the extent toSystematic process of determining the extent to
whichwhich instructional objectivesinstructional objectives are achievedare achieved
• Considering evidence in the light ofConsidering evidence in the light of valuevalue
standardstandard and in terms of particular situationsand in terms of particular situations
and goals which the group of individuals areand goals which the group of individuals are
striving to attain.striving to attain.
DATA & INTERPRETATIONDATA & INTERPRETATION

Education Decisions
Based on Evaluation

Data-based Decisions
• “Using data to drive improvement” was identified as a key to
success in a report developed by the National Education Goals
Panel after a series of hearings designed to find examples of
successful schools and to understand why those schools were
succeeding. Specifically, the successful schools “use
performance information to determine where they were
succeeding and where they needed to direct their efforts for
improvement” (Rothman 2000, i).
• In a study of Maryland elementary schools, Schafer et al.
(undated) found that in schools they characterized as more
successful, “principals are involved with assessment of
student improvement and make classroom decisions based
on these assessments.”

Asking the Right Questions
1. What should students know, and how
should they be able to use what they
know?
2. How well should students perform?
3. What will we do to assess student
performance?
4. How well do students actually perform?
5. What will we do to improve student
performance?
Hibbard and Yakimowski (1997)

Collecting and Analyzing Data
Identifying the key questions is only a first
step. The next step, data analysis, requires
the availability of high-quality, targeted data
in a format that helps to address the
questions.
Collected and Analyzed data should be:
•can be easily disaggregated not only by
school but by classroom and specific groups
of students; and
•provide a detailed analysis of results by
objective or skill in addition to overall scores.

“You can measure and evaluate
but at the end of the day the
question will always be, what
are you going to do about it?”

Responding to what data tells us…
1. Aligning the curriculum
2. Improving teaching
strategies
3. Providing special
instruction for students
who need it

Martin Luther King, Jr.
““The ultimateThe ultimate
measure of a man ismeasure of a man is
not where he standsnot where he stands
in moments ofin moments of
comfort andcomfort and
convenience, butconvenience, but
where he stands atwhere he stands at
times of challenge andtimes of challenge and
controversy.”controversy.”

Educational Measurement