Administration considerations for reliable and valid assessments

Reli major power and hardiness in sagacity ar of crucial importance. Issues in validation stack adjudge a signififannyt daze on the depend business leader and hardness of perspicacity results and the inferences that atomic number 18 do most schoolchilds performance based on these results.It is essential therefore that befitting techniques of constitution be adopted in ensuring that the single of assessments is preserved and that the inference do about students performance argon indeed legitimate and valid.Administration attachments forget differ based on the nature of the assessment, whether it is chunk or in prescribed. For formal assessments there are usu each(prenominal)y pre-established guidelines for the quizzer to everywheresee the administration of the assessment instrument. It is weighty that the inspector familiarize him/herself with the proper techniques of administering the item mental trying so that the reliability and validity of the scre en can be traind and preserved.While the assessment may not require formal training to develop competence the attempt administrator must regard the protocols of the test, date what is expected of the students, and follow correct and look at procedures during test administration to correspond that meet and fair conditions are provided for all students.McLoughlin and Lewis (2005) tending that measures administered by untrained testers produce extremely questionable results that must be considered remove ( p. 90). It is therefore essential that examiners are flourishing with all exam procedures and follow these explicitly to avoid invalidating the results produced from more than(prenominal) tests.Additionally the tester must also be gauzy to the needs of the students during assessment. The examiner cannot praise, prompt or give information (McLoughlin & Lewis, 2005, p. 94). Examiners must understand correct protocol during test administration. genuine practices should b e avoided.The examiner should refrain from confirm or correcting (McLoughlin & Lewis, 2005, p. 95) students responses during the test as sanitary as they should avoid coaching students in order to elicit correct responses. Depending on the object and nature of the test the examiner may be permitted to repeat viva items for students.The examiner should also encourage students to get along or respond to all items on the test and may use call into question during tests to encourage students to respond to items. Evidently the ability of the tester to comelyly preside over the test is a very detailed issue in ensuring that test results are valid and reliable.The test administrator sets the yard and the outcome of the test pivots around his/her ability to suss out transparency. By ensuring that the tester is adequately prepared for the test the possibility of incorrect administration procedures allow for be avoided.The test purlieu should also be such as provides an atmospher e in which the students can work successfully. As McLoughlin and Lewis (2005) indicate, this purlieu can influence test performance (p. 90).The test environment should be as palmy as possible for all students, with dear(p) ventilation, adequate and comfortable seating for from each one student where necessary, adequate space for writing, allow for lighting, comfortable temperature, minimal external disruptions, minimal distractions such as a see through a window, passersby, other individuals qualifying freely in and out of the exam room or other visual distractions such as posters.Additionally the examiner has to gibe that all material inevitable for the test are present including material students give need to complete test items.While it is specimen that the test environment is free of all these encumbrances, all these conditions do not rag believe to be satisfied to crack the validity and reliability of the test. In both(prenominal) instances some aspects of the environment, though they are not at their optimal levels, may not shine students performance.However, it is difficult to fall how students performance will be affected by the environment and thus the examiner should attempt to ensure that the setting is as close to holy person as possible. The examiner could also figure out discretion during test administration to agree if the location of the exam needs to be changed or the exam discontinued only because of environment. It is not far fetched that a well-prepared environment becomes inappropriate at some render during the exam.Based on the reaction of the students the examiner could determine if the distractions or disruptions are sufficient plenty to affect student performance. These provisions ensure that, as far as possible, no external factors negatively impact student performance and that students are adequately provided with the good tools with which to reap success.Another consideration is the preparation of the stude nts for the test. Students should be adequately informed of the eon, date, location and routine of the test as well as be sensitive of what exactly is required of them.The time of day is of extreme importance. Researches hold in been conducted to determine the time of day that will produce the optimal results for students. Recently Hansen, Janssen, Schiff, zee and Dubocovich (2005) found that students were more vigorous during the flush than in the morning and thus were in a better frame of promontory to complete tests.It is difficult, however, for examiners of standardized test to have any impact on the time of administration since often the examining body has a preset time for completion.Another administration consideration is the rapport between the students and the examiner. McLoughlin and Lewis (2005) recommend that the examiner familiarizes him/herself with the students and help them feel at quieten with the examiner. The examiner should also explain the tendency of an d orient them to shelters the test. This includes describing test activities, length and impediment of the test.The examiner should also inform students of proper exam protocol, informing them how to look at for financial aid during the test as well as explain to them any timing signals that may be given. The examiner should encourage students to ask questions about aspects of the test administration that they are uncertain about.Adequate provisions should be made for students to have a break, if possible, during a lengthy test so as to ward off fatigue (McLoughlin & Lewis, 2005, p. 99). These practices would ensure that students populate what is expected of them before the test begins so that no time is wasted during the test.The procedures for administering cosy classroom assessment are much the same. The classroom teacher should ensure that students are adequately prepared for the test, are aware of the test objectives, are given adequate time to complete it and that no fo ul assistance is provided to any student.Also the teacher should make sure the environment is conducive to interrogatory with convenient seating and minimal fortune for cheating. Additionally in administrating certain types of assessment such as observations and interviews, the teacher has to ensure that the objectives to be tested are understandably laid out, with clearly outlined criteria for marking so that bias is avoided and each student is scored fairly.The use of rating scales, rubrics and checklists help to ensure that assessment is focused and that the correct behaviors are being observed. However at time a teacher may afterward find that these instruments do not adequately measure all the attributes and that certain strike attitudes are not catered for.This is one outrage with rating scales and checklists, if a student displays a positive behavior that is not outlined in the rating scale no provision is made for it and the child is disadvantaged.The purpose of asse ssment is to ensure that each students has an commensurate chance of performing at their better in the test and thereby manifest to the examiner whether or not they have certain skills, knowledge or attitudes.Therefore at once the examiner adopts these administration considerations the possibilities of measurement misunderstanding are diminished and test administration conditions will have minimal, if any, negative effect, on student outcome. Students will therefore be able to meaningfully demonstrate their knowledge, skills and attitudes to the teacher. ReferencesHansen, M., Janssen, I., Schiff, A., Zee, P. C. & Dubocovich, M. L. (2005). The impact of school daily schedule on adolescent sleep. Pediatrics, 115, 15551561.McLoughlin, J. A. & Lewis, R. B. (2005). Assessing students with special needs. (6th ed.). NJ Prentice-Hall/Merrill.