Author Archives: Charlie DePascale

The Butterfly Effect

This is the second in what unexpectedly became a series of posts on validity, validation, state tests, and state assessment programs. In these first two posts, I am focusing on the primary purpose of state tests and interpretation of student test scores as a measure of student performance on the state’s content standards; that is,Continue reading “The Butterfly Effect”

Even Validity Has Unintended Consequences

While the educational measurement community has devoted an uncomfortable amount of energy to debating the proper role of consequences in validity, I would argue that we have paid far too little attention to the unintended negative consequences of the Validity Standards on the validation of K-12 large-scale state assessments and state assessment programs.  We seemContinue reading “Even Validity Has Unintended Consequences”

I Can See The Writing on the Wall

Organizations, institutions, and individuals who have been called to educational measurement and/or educational assessment as their pathway through life have joined others this summer in an exercise in introspection and self-reflection. The goal of this exercise is to emerge with a better understanding of how we, through our life’s work,  have contributed to, endorsed, promulgated, perpetuated,Continue reading “I Can See The Writing on the Wall”

Too Much of a Good Thing

If asked to identify the biggest successes of the Education Reform movement over the past two decades I would have to put selling the importance of disaggregating data at or near the top of my list.  Acceptance and adoption of the practice of disaggregating data is well beyond what one might expect from mere complianceContinue reading “Too Much of a Good Thing”

Equating 2020 – Opportunity Lost

For a brief moment last spring the disruptions caused by COVID-19 appeared to offer a once-in-a-lifetime teachable moment in the form of an opportunity for real-time discussions with stakeholders about the concepts and assumptions that are at the heart of equating state assessments. Alas, much like people’s understanding of equating, that opportunity proved to beContinue reading “Equating 2020 – Opportunity Lost”

Don’t Go There, Charlie

In 2017, I shared an idea for a post with my small circle of confidants. The response was immediate and unanimous, “Don’t go there, Charlie.” Last year, I shared the same idea with a wider circle of family and colleagues and again, “Don’t go there, Charlie.”  But with the world already turned upside down inContinue reading “Don’t Go There, Charlie”

You never forget your first

Time passes. Interests change. Something new catches your eye. Yes, life moves on, but you never forget your first.  You never forget that lecture, book, or journal article that sparked the flame that ignited your career – it’s always a part of you.  For many of my colleagues in measurement and assessment it likely wasContinue reading “You never forget your first”