Chapter 10: Turning the Page: How Smarter Testing, Vertical Scales, and Understanding of Student Engagement May Improve Our Tests

Building an adaptive testing system requires the practitioner to blend basic research (Weiss, 1980) with technology and logistics that fit the situations in which the tests will be delivered (Sands, Waters, & McBride, 1997). In this study, we will consider the research needs of an adaptive testing system that has been developed for use in a number of K-12 settings (MAP: Northwest Evaluation Association, 2009). While many of the operational questions associated with the initial development of this system have been described earlier (Kingsbury & Houser, 1993, 1998), this chapter focuses on issues that relate current research findings to ongoing adaptive test development and administration.