Validation of Scores From a Measure of Teachers' Efficacy Toward Standards-Aligned Classroom Assessment

Abstract

As large-scale accountability testing becomes more refined, statewide standards are being created so that teachers and students can create learning and assessment targets that are aligned with statewide testing systems. An important hurdle in assisting teachers in their efforts to create standards-aligned classroom assessments is creating feelings of comfort and confidence in the teachers as they learn the relevant skills. Hence, an important component of a professional development program designed to foster these skills in teachers is an instrument that provides measures that provide useful information for planning development activities for the teachers. This article summarizes a validation study of scores from the Teacher Assessment Efficacy Scale. The analyses indicated support for the six dimensions around which the items were developed, that subscales' scores exhibit adequate reliabilities, and that gains are realized in ways that one would expect when teachers engage in professional development activities designed to increase their proficiencies in creating standards-aligned classroom assessments.