Exploration of Validity Evidence Gaps in Science Educational Achievement Testing

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The Promoting Research and Innovation in Methodologies for Evaluation (PRIME) program seeks to support research on evaluation with special emphasis on: (1) exploring innovative approaches for determining the impacts and usefulness of STEM education projects and programs; (2) building on and expanding the theoretical foundations for evaluating STEM education and workforce development initiatives, including translating and adapting approaches from other fields; and (3) growing the capacity and infrastructure of the evaluation field. Three types of proposals will be supported by the program: Exploratory Projects that include proof-of-concept and feasibility studies; more extensive Full-Scale Projects; and workshops and conferences. The PIs propose to study the validity of measures of science achievement. They will assess validity gaps (when they exist) and build a data base for critical dialogue about such gaps. Two major questions will be addressed by the proposed project. The first, what are the nature, extent and quality of validity evidence gaps for science education achievement testing in research and evaluation reports found in science education? The second, what are the research and policy implications related to potential sources of influence on the gaps. The work will generate tools to support capacity and infrastructure of the evaluation field (specifically, a data base with validity evidence for science education researches and evaluators of science education interventions).