A Comprehensive Framework for Defensible Testing Part II
Gregory J. Cizek · 2020
The enterprise of validating an intended score meaning is necessarily separable from justifying any intended score use. Both must be done to accomplish professionally defensible testing practice. A comprehensive model for defensible testing must take into account the diverse perspectives, values, and priorities in a systematic and open manner when the decision to use a test in some intended manner is being made. In addition to the consequences of testing that can be anticipated, there is the potential for unintended consequences to accrue. Test takers spend time studying for tests; instructors spend time helping them prepare for tests; systems and procedures must be put in place to oversee testing and evaluate test results. Cost-effectiveness analyses provide another potential source of evidence to justify the use of a test. Like cost-benefit analyses, the cost(s) of some intervention—such as developing and administering a test—must be estimated.