Automated scoring of free drawings or images as responses has yet to be used in large-scale assessments of student achievement. In this study, we propose artificial neural networks to classify these types of graphical responses from a TIMSS 2019 item. We are comparing classification accuracy of convolutional and feed-forward approaches. Our…

Practical constraints in rater-mediated assessments limit the availability of complete data. Instead, most scoring procedures include one or two ratings for each performance, with overlapping performances across raters or linking sets of multiple-choice items to facilitate model estimation. These incomplete scoring designs present challenges for…

Automated scoring based on Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) has been successfully used to score essays and constrained short answer responses. Scoring tests that capture open-ended, short answer responses poses some challenges for machine learning approaches. We used LSA techniques to score short answer responses to the Consequences Test, a measure…

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of unfolding models for evaluating the quality of ratings obtained in rater-mediated assessments. Two different judgmental processes can be used to conceptualize ratings: impersonal judgments and personal preferences. Impersonal judgments are typically expected in rater-mediated assessments, and…

Rater effects, or raters' tendencies to assign ratings to performances that are different from the ratings that the performances warranted, are well documented in rater-mediated assessments across a variety of disciplines. In many real-data studies of rater effects, researchers have reported that raters exhibit more than one effect, such as a…

The impact of overall test length and difficulty on the expert judgments of item performance by the Nedelsky method were studied. Five university-level instructors predicting the performance of minimally competent candidates on a mathematics examination were fairly consistent in their assessments regardless of length or difficulty of the test.…

In a study involving eight judges, analysis with the FACETS model provides evidence that judges grade differently, whether or not scores correlate well. This outcome suggests that adjustments for differences among judges should be made before student measures are estimated to produce reproducible decisions. (SLD)

Two frame-of-reference rater training approaches were compared for effects on reliability and accuracy of cutoff scores generated by 21 raters using Angoff methods on tests taken by 155 undergraduates. Both approaches result in higher interrater reliability and more accuracy than does a non-frame-of-reference method. (SLD)

Methods for setting cutoff scores based on criterion performance, normative comparison, and absolute judgment were compared for scores on a multiple-choice psychology examination for 121 undergraduates and 251 undergraduates as a comparison group. All methods fell within the standard error of measurement. Implications of differences for decision…