Charlie DePascale

Right Before Our Very Eyes

It’s time for educational measurement, or at least assessment specialists, to say goodbye to latent traits, hidden constructs, and true scores. They are useful concepts, in theory. In practice, well, they really haven’t helped us provide useful information to stakeholders, and that is the name of the game. Admit it, you were a bit skepticalContinue reading “Right Before Our Very Eyes”

Ars Gratia Artis

I took five years of Latin at Boston Latin School. I was a music major at Harvard with a focus on the history of Renaissance music. I chose to pursue a career in state testing. I offer these experiences as evidence that I am uniquely qualified to address questions such as “What is the valueContinue reading “Ars Gratia Artis”

A Christmas Carol (Testing Version)

State testing was dying; to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The actions, or more aptly put, the inactions taken by the assessment community over the years had signed the death warrant. It seemed clear that all that remained was to wait for the bell to toll. Times up. Pencils down. ItContinue reading “A Christmas Carol (Testing Version)”

Gender – Our Achilles Heel

For as long as I can remember, gender has been a sore spot in large-scale assessment. Often overshadowed in the media and federal regulations by race and ethnicity, it is a difference in test results by gender that can cause the most trouble for those of us in testing. The problem, you see, is thatContinue reading “Gender – Our Achilles Heel”

Choosing Our Battles Wisely

We appear to be in a lull in the storm that has been battering large-scale assessment, in general, and state assessment programs, in particular, for the last several years. Knowing that the next band of thunderstorms is on the horizon, this may be a good time to assess our situation to determine what it isContinue reading “Choosing Our Battles Wisely”

Do Re Mi-ting Expectations

Let’s start at the very beginningA very good place to startWhen you read, you begin with A-B-CWhen you sing, you begin with Do-Re-Mi When you report state test results, you begin with … What do you begin with when reporting state test results? I know that testing begins with hopes, dreams, and aspirations (pernicious orContinue reading “Do Re Mi-ting Expectations”

That Ragged Old Item

Each year they arrive ready to change the game Developers and psychometricians with freshly minted degrees As eager to disrupt as we were eager to please. So, I wasn’t surprised when the bold one exclaimed with disdain, I remember that sandwich cut into six slices! Students deserve better items, no wonder we’re in crisis! IContinue reading “That Ragged Old Item”

For Every Taylor …

Above all else there is Taylor Swift. No one who has followed my blog is surprised by that opening sentence. But for every Taylor Swift there are hundreds, actually thousands, of others, incredibly talented performers who are not Taylor Swift. Some of them may even be better singers, songwriters, or dancers than Taylor; have aContinue reading “For Every Taylor …”

When Politics Was Local

I have to admit that I was a bit confused when I opened my absentee ballot this morning. As I scanned the list of candidates from both sides of the aisle on both sides of the ballot, contrary to what I have been told repeatedly these last several weeks, “Democracy” was not among them. DemocracyContinue reading “When Politics Was Local”

Track 13 – What’s The Plan?

As usual, in Mastermind, track 13, Taylor Swift said it better than I ever could. If you fail to plan, you plan to failStrategy sets the scene for the tale So, as Jessica Baghian asked on Twitter, “What’s the plan?” – “the specific plan chiefs and governors articulate to address kids’ needs.” Of course, beforeContinue reading “Track 13 – What’s The Plan?”