Last Updated on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 5:01 AM
The Technical Reports on this page provide extensive detail about the development and operation of the Kentucky Core Content Tests and the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS). The traditional concerns with a program are often labeled reliability and validity. The empirical reliability and validity of the assessments are reported explicitly in these documents. While the reliability chapters are relatively straightforward, the validity chapters address the validity of the program as derived from the sum of its parts. That is, the steps in creating the program and putting it into operation are all aspects of validity. The validity of any assessment stems from the steps taken in planning it, the processes of developing the content of the tests, the processes of consulting with stakeholders, the processes of communicating about the test to users, the processes of scoring and reporting, and the processes of data analysis. Each is an inherent part of validity. The uses made of the test results as established by the Kentucky Board of Education are also aspects of validity. In short, while there are specific chapters devoted to validity, including many references to validity studies, this document provides much, but not all of the evidence needed to assess the validity of the program.
1998 Technical Manual (KIRIS Accountability Cycle 3 Technical Report)
1999 Technical Report
2000 Technical Report
2001 Technical Tables (appendices)
2002 Technical Report
2003 Technical Appendices
2004 Technical Report
2005 Technical Appendices