Social issues related to the use of tests for critical employment, admissions, and competency decisions. Considers legal, ethical, and psychometric aspects of such issues as test bias, open admissions, privacy, and truth-in-testing. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior class standing (UAlbany Undergraduate Bulletin 2008-2009).

We will draw on a variety of instructional approaches including questioning, assigned readings, reflective writing, hands-on activities, class discussions, and individual papers to facilitate higher level thinking and meaningful learning.

Our major goals for this course are to:

a. critically evaluate the research pertaining to the use of tests in such areas as education, admissions, and competency decisions,

b. further develop your own perspective on testing by formulating your opinions based on scientific research and expressing them in verbal and written form,

c. be able to think critically and ask questions about the field, and

d. develop professionalism as educators and learn the diversity of the student population.

Readings [back to top]

The main text for this course is available in the campus bookstore and at Mary Jane Books:

Popham, W. J. (2004). America’s “failing” schools: How parents and teachers can cope with No Child Left Behind. New York: Routledge. [ISBN: 978-0-415-95128-9]

Wilde, S. (2002). Testing and standards: A brief encyclopedia. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. [ISBN 978-0-325-00360-3]

A copy of the each textbook is available at the Library Reserves under the course name. Additional required articles and assignments can be found on Electronic Reserves (ERes) via the library Web site. The password is in the syllabus.

Course Requirements and Evaluation [back to top]

You will demonstrate your achievement of the learning objectives/understanding goals via the following assignments:

A. Throughline Reflections (15 points—6 and 9 respectively): You will be asked to write about several overarching questions, or throughlines. Your written throughlines will be collected at the beginning and end of the semester and assessed according to a checklist. One rewrite of the first throughline is allowed, due one week after you receive your graded work from me. No rewrites of final throughlines are allowed.

B. Tests (30 points—15 each): You will be assessed on 2 non-cumulative take-home exams on the dates listed in the syllabus. Tests will include information covered during lectures, class assignments, and assigned readings (text & articles). Tests can consist of open-ended, multiple-choice, true-false, and matching questions. Tests can only be made up with submission of written medical or legal documentation indicating the reason for the absence(s).

C. Term Paper (15 points): You will read, summarize, and draw practical implications from at least 3 journal articles besides assigned readings on a topic of your choice. An evaluation rubric that will be used to grade your work will be provided.

D. Pop Quizzes (10 points): At least 4 unannounced short quizzes will be given during classes.

E. Reading Notes (20 points—5 each): You cannot do well in this course without doing the assigned readings before each class. I recommend writing reading times into your weekly calendar. You will hand in structured short reading notes for each of the assigned readings.

F. Focus Groups (5 points): Students will form groups and lead a class discussion on one of the specific topics covered in this course. Groups will provide a written summary of the presentation to all students in the class, summarize the important findings of the readings and how they relate to the topic at hand, create questions to promote class discussion of important concepts/issues, and guide class discussion on the topic.

G. Attendance and Participation (5 points): I expect you to attend classes on time and participate in every class. Moreover, I expect you to do the assigned readings before each class. Class discussions, assignments, and projects will assume you have done the readings. Absences will only be excused with submission of written medical and/or legal documentation to me indicating the reason for the absence.

The grades will be based on the completion of all course requirements and evidence of understanding and application of your knowledge and skills. Rubrics or checklists for assignments will be provided.

A = 93 +

A- = 90 – 92

B+ = 87 – 89

B = 83 – 86

B- = 80 – 82

C+ = 77 – 79

C = 73 – 76

C- = 70 – 72

D+ = 67 – 69

D = 63 – 66

D- = 60 – 62

E = <60

Weekly Schedule [back to top]

Week

Date

Topics

Readings

Assignments Due

1/21

Introduction and overview

1/26

Imagine!

Welcome Assignment

1/28

Politics of testing

Wilde (Intro, 37-39, 54-56, 79-82)

Imagine! Assignment & First Throughline

2/2

Technical terms in testing

Wilde (29-37, 45-47, 52-54, 73-76); Popham (Part 2)

2/4

Reliability & validity issues

ERes;

Wilde (42-45, 64-67, 87-90)

Reading Notes 1

2/9

Traditional vs. Alternative (authentic) assessments

ERes; Wilde (8-11, 76-79)

2/11

NCLB

ERes; Popham (Part 1)

2/16

No class – Winter Break

2/18

No class – Winter Break

2/23

NCLB

ERes; Popham (Part 3)

2/25

Accountability

ERes; Wilde (1-3, 26-29)

3/2

Cooperative tests

ERes

3/4

Technology & testing

ERes

Reading Notes 2

3/9

Intelligence testing

ERes

3/11

Misuse of test scores

ERes

3/16

Midterm

Midterm Exam

3/18

Achievement testing

ERes; Wilde (59-64, 70-73)

W10

3/23

High stakes testing K-12

ERes; Wilde (11-13, 47-49)

3/25

Testing and college admissions

ERes; Wilde (67-70)

Reading Notes 3

W11

3/30

High stakes testing in college

ERes; Wilde (49-52, 86-87)

Draft Term Paper

4/1

Legal issues

ERes; Wilde (23-26)

W12

4/6

Cheating

ERes; Wilde (82-83)

4/8

No class – Spring Break

W13

4/13

No class – Spring Break

4/15

Test anxiety

ERes; Wilde (13-14)

W14

4/20

Stereotype threat

ERes

Reading Notes 4

4/22

Racial/ethnic/cultural bias

ERes

W15

4/27

Gender bias

ERes

Final Term Paper

4/29

SES bias

ERes; Wilde (14-22)

W16

5/4

Evaluation and conclusion

Final Throughline

5/7

Final

Final Exam

Information [back to top]

Educational Technology

The course makes use of following information technologies:

· Course Web page publishes useful links and course grades.

· E-reserve contains additional readings and other course documents.

· Listserv is the class group e-mailing system for two-way internal communication.

For more information or help on any of the above, contact me or the Information Technology Services at http://www.albany.edu/its.

Submissions

You will get your assignments back with my comments on. Assignment submissions are preferred in paper on the day of class for the assigned due date. For one reason or the other, if you can not bring the paper copy of your assignment to the class, you can send your work as an e-mail attachment before the midnight of the due date. However, if you e-mail your assignment, you still need to submit a print copy as soon as possible. Only hard copies of your assignments will be graded.

Equity

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for students with documented physical, sensory, systemic, cognitive, learning and psychiatric disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodation in this class, please notify the director of Disability Resource Center (Campus Center 137, 442-5490). That office will provide the course instructor with verification of your disability, and will recommend appropriate accommodations. For more information, visit the Web site of the UAlbany Disability Resource Center at http://www.albany.edu/disability.

Academic Dishonesty

The University at Albany Standards of Academic Integrity prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. These include plagiarism (presenting as one's own work the work of another person, including paraphrasing or summarizing without acknowledgment, submission of another student's work as one's own, the purchase of prepared research or completed projects or papers, and the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else), cheating on examinations, multiple submissions of work, forgery, sabotage, unauthorized collaboration, and falsification. If you engage in course-related academic dishonesty, your work will not be accepted or your grade on the work in question will be dramatically lowered. In some cases, the University Judicial System recommends disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion from the University. Any student wishing to protest any such action can initiate grievance procedures, starting at the department level. For more information visit http://www.albany.edu/gradstudies/academics/a4.shtml.

Links

Division of Educational Psychology and Methodology: http://www.albany.edu/educational_psychology/

Events at UAlbany: http://www.albany.edu/todayualbany/

Future Educators’ Club: http://www.albany.edu/~fec

School of Education: http://www.albany.edu/education/

State University of New York: http://www.suny.edu/

University Library education subject guide: http://library.albany.edu/subject/education_main.html

University Library reference collection: http://library.albany.edu/reference/

Week

Date

Updated on 3/3/09 by Asil Ozdogru