Importance of test specifications for the purpose of assessment

Intan Farnisa Mohd Hashim Nor Azarina Hairul

Test Specifications

Test specifications are a blueprint, or plan, that clearly defines the scope and content of the test. It is the documentation for the decisions made in the initial planning stages. Just as it is important to develop learning objectives before instruction is planned, it is necessary to develop test specifications prior to test construction

Essence of using test blueprint in largescale assessment

The blueprint guides item collection and development. It provides a clear framework for the researchers to design items which assess the important concept or thinking skill listed in the test blueprint. This specification conducted in the early phase of the research process to ensure that the test focuses on important learning goals and makes writing test items much easier. It serves as the ground for improvement of the whole research process.

After the test is administered and scored, students score is obtained by mapping students performance in the test with the test blueprint.
It serves to document if students have achieved major learning goals. Interpretation of the assessment results is made with the evidence collected. It helps to ensure the appropriate and meaningful understanding of the assessment evidence. The reason for its application is to ensure that the results of the assessment is accountable to its stakeholders.

It also provide sources for the formative use of the summative assessment.
the test blueprint provides a lens for researchers to check if the test instrument fulfill its purpose by matching the content and goals.

Therefore, the practice of drafting and revising test blueprint is a necessary and helpful practice to the researchers in many large scale assessments.

The assessment blueprint, a critical component of a good assessment, should be shared to the students. Students have the right to know the details of the assessment so that they may respond to it in an informed manner. Large-scale assessment usually provides clear assessment framework and sample items to the public. Teachers may use the provided information for the learning of students. Marking procedure is clearly shown and guidelines for the interpretation of test scores are also provided. Test blueprint is beneficial to test developers, researchers and students in different phases of the assessment. Its ultimate goal is to make sound and appropriate judgments.

It is important to understand the goal of this strategy: improving validity of a teachers evaluations based on a given assessment.

Validity is the degree to which the evaluations or judgments we make as teachers about our students can be trusted based on the quality of evidence we gathered (Wolming & Wilkstrom, 2010).
For classroom assessments two sources of validity evidence are essential: evidence based on test content and evidence based on response process. Evidence based on test content underscores the degree to which a test measures what it is designed to measure (Wolming & Wilkstrom, 2010). Classroom tests must be aligned to the content taught in order for any of your judgments about student understanding and learning to be meaningful.

Response process evidence is concerned with the alignment of the kinds of thinking required of students during instruction and during assessment activities.
Evidence of response process ensures that classroom tests assess the level of thinking that was required for students during their instructional experiences. In order for teachers to make valid judgments about their students thinking and understanding then the thinking level of items need to match the thinking level of instruction. The Table of Specifications provides a strategy for teachers to improve the validity of the judgments they make about their students from test responses by providing content and response process evidence.

Test Design and Item Development Issues

The design of the tests used in an assessment program is influenced by numerous factors. Test designers must consider factors such as; relationship between the assessable curriculum standards and the test coverage, the modalities in which the test will be administered, the organization of the test into reporting categories, the possible need to align the tests with multiple sets of curriculum standards, and many other factors.

Table 1. Percentage of State Blueprints or Specifications Dedicated to Assessment Purposes (Based on 49 states)

ELPA-R-Test-Specifications-2012-2013_page12_image1.jpg reltmax_implementation_of_sba_eltc_briefing_may_2012.pdf

References
http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/?q=assessment/quali ty_test_construction/teacher_tools/table_of_specifications http://www.pearsonassessments.com/NR/rdonlyres/717116 F0-7C7B-4396-AB558170EEF810B1/0/CommonCoreTestSpecifications120110.pdf http://www.readingassessment.info/resources/publications /PARAblueprint.html

http://academia.edu/305404/Using_test_blueprint_in_classroom_assessments_w hy_and_how http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2012/05/TaskItemSpecifications/ItemSpecifications/GeneralIte mSpecifications.pdf http://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/eval/ELPA-R-Test-Specifications-20122013.pdf http://www.simonesource.com/uploads/9/4/3/7/9437956/reltmax_implementat ion_of_sba_eltc_briefing_may_2012.pdf http://pareonline.net/pdf/v18n3.pdf