Assessment, evaluation, and accountability: a brief introduction

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief introduction to a very broad set of concepts: assessment, evaluation, and accountability. In doing so, we also include related terms of “measurement” and “testing.” We begin with a series of definitions of terms, then introduce a list of modifiers that have been used in relation to these terms, such as, high and low stakes assessments, criterion and norm referenced assessments, standards-based assessments, and several others. We also examine the categories and sub-categories of these concepts, and how they are related. Following these definitions, we describe the process of educational measurement in general, how it is accomplished, key characteristics, types of decisions made from measurements, and trends and innovations in testing. We focus in particular on formative and summative assessment at the student level, and large-scale assessments at the state, national, and international levels, as these issues are critical in the current educational climate.