Validity and Reliability

Validity is a tool that denotes the extent by which a certain instrument used in measuring, is metering what it is assigned to measure. Validity in terms of content is used to something that is extremely valuable. This is obtained through the assessment on whether an individual item included in the text represents what is necessary to be assessed. Validity of an item can be affected by various factors such as test related factors, reliability and intervening events. Each special educator should always understand this. This is because students with exceptional needs require exceptional attention. A student may be tested in one aspect and not in all the others. A good example is when a student is only tested how to write and improve the handwriting and hence validity of the content is meaningless. Reliability is another term that is crucial in special education. It is used to measure the consistency of measurements. A reliable test produces similar results in all the conditions, situations, and testing environment. Reliability of a test can be affected by the test taker’s temporary psychological condition or his physical state. A special educator requires taking note of this. A student with some mental problems does not need to be extremely reliable hence, it is essential for the educator. According to Abedi, the test done by native speakers proves that English has lower reliability and validity to English learners.

Norm referenced and Criterion Referenced Testing

Norm-referenced tests make a comparison of an examinee’s performances with those of other examinees. The goal of norm-referenced tests is to rank the examinees in the order of merit. The highest performer compared to a class of many examinees is ranked as the number one. Criterion-referenced testing, on the other hand, compares an examinees performance to a given and predetermined set of standards. The objective of this assessment is not only to rank but also to demonstrate the level of a certain subject understanding. A good example of both norm-based and criterion-based tests in the academic field is a school situation. A teacher gives continuous assessment test to rank the students in the class depending on the marks for each paper. This is norm-referenced assessment. The evaluation of the students is made because of, probably, college entry or award giving. In the same class, the teacher may decide to set a given score, which every student must gain. This helps the teacher to know how the certain subject has been learned due to the results. Such kinds of results could not be ranked and are given as pass or fail. These tests could be used to make decisions on job entry licensure or certification. For researchers or educators documenting these assessment approaches, hiring an APA editor for hire ensures that the formatting and scholarly presentation of their findings meet rigorous academic standards.

Discrimination in Special Education.

A major issue in assessment of special education is discrimination in assessment. Discrimination is evident in two types: the exclusion of students with disabilities from school altogether and classification of students with a disability when actually there was no disability. A landmark court case on special education is Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka Kansas in 1954. The court ruled that arbitrary discriminate against a group of people is illegal and later it applied this principle to the schooling of children. Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act is also beneficial in the schooling of special needs students. The civil rights were enacted in 1973 and aimed to prevent any discrimination against all individuals with special needs or disabilities from the programs that receive some federal funds. The Act also ensures that students have equal opportunities in all school activities. The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1997 (IDEA ’97) offers several options for the school authorities of working with a student with any disability. In general, discrimination against the students with a disability is illegal, and the Government does all the best to put an end to this.