The Relationship Between Basic Skills and Teacher Licensure Assessment Scores: Validity Coefficients and Differential Prediction

• In Event: Accountability and Testing Policies in Teacher Education

Abstract

Basic skills assessments are often used in the teacher preparation program admissions process and as part of initial licensure. The purpose of this study was to estimate the relationship between basic skills and teacher licensure assessment scores and analyze differential prediction by race and ethnicity. These are two primary pieces of evidence on validity and fairness with respect to test use in a selection context. Data were drawn from operational test taker records over a period of nearly five years. The analysis suggests that tests of reading, writing, and mathematics are moderate predictors of scores from 11 licensure assessments. There was little evidence of differential prediction across White, Black, and Hispanic/Latino test takers.

Author

• Heather Marie Buzick, ETS