Research-Based Methodological Concerns About Using Standardized Tests of Generic Skills to Make Institutional Comparisons

• In Event: Measuring College-Level Skills

Abstract

This paper raises research-based methodological concerns about using standardized tests of generic skills to compare the quality of colleges and universities. If standardized tests can provide seemingly objective, reliable, understandable evidence of quality in K-12 education, can’t they do the same for colleges and universities? The authors have worked within two state postsecondary systems that require administration of such tests, and have conducted decades-spanning research that raises questions about what the standardized tests actually measure, how administration methods and students’ motivation affect scores, and how value-added calculations can be influenced by a variety of factors. They conclude that students’ gain scores are not valid for making institutional comparisons.

Authors

• Mehary Tadesse Stafford, The University of Texas System

• Trudy W. Banta, Indiana University - IUPUI