Research On Developing Standard-based Mathematics Achievement Tests For Middle School

Standardized achievement tests are developed by the test specialists based on the developing rules. After the examinees have learned the subject or entered the program, we can use the achievement test on the subject to measure their knowledge or skills. In China, primary and middle school teachers frequently use some academic tests developed by themselves. Those tests are not only unstandardized, but also out of alignment with the curriculum standards and objectives. So those tests are unable to analysis deeply how and what the students have learned, and unable to objectively assess the learning results between different classes or different schools either.The aim of this research is to develop one set of criterion-referenced standardized mathematics achievement tests for middle school students, which are strickly based on the curriculum standards and specific obejectives, and classical testing theory and generalizability theory. Fisrt, after studying the mathematics achievement tests in China and other countries and areas, and analyzing national and local mathematics curriculum standards and specific obejectives, the researcher developed a test frame with the two way tables of sepecifications and decided to develop one test for each grade. Second, according to the two way tables of sepecifications, the reseacher collected and developed the items for each specification, and organized an expert group to assess the matching degree between the items and specifications. Third, the researcher developed the draft of the tests with two forms for each grade, on the basis of classical testing theory and multivariate generalizability theory. The tests were revised and tried twice to the middle school students in Shanghai after fisrt trial. Two results finded:the psychometrics characterized values of 14 tests were proven qulitified using CTT and GT; the test result explanation reports for student or teachers are informative and useful.The tests will be a good tool for assessing and diagnosing the achievement levels and status of middle school students. The explorative studies, include matching the tests with the standards, the applying of GT and CTT, and the specific and comparative test result reports, will benefit the theory study of civil standardized achievement test.