COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS: ITEM ALIGNMENT TO THE SHIFTS IN TENNESSEE

Abstract

Our nation is in the midst of one of the largest education reforms in decades centered on the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and aligned assessments. In an era of rising accountability measures and declining literacy proficiency, it is vital to ensure that educational resources, such as benchmark assessments, are appropriately aligned to state education reform movements. The purpose of this study was to use exploratory factor analysis (EFA), classical test theory (CTT), and item response theory (IRT) to consider if factors aligned to the three instructional shifts of CCSS can be confirmed within benchmark assessments designed to measure student progress across three grade levels: 4th, 8th, and 10th. Data samples were specific to a test administered to Tennessee students during the fall and winter of the 2014-2015 school year. The researcher hypothesized it would be more likely that the benchmark items would align more strongly with a four-factor solution because the tests were designed to assess four strands of the CCSS (Language, Reading Informational Text, Reading Literature, and Writing). However, EFA revealed a stronger alignment with a three-factor solution after removal of misfit items using CTT and IRT. Overall, the results were inconclusive and additional study is required to determine if benchmark assessments are being designed to assess not just the CCSS, but the theoretical underpinnings of the standards. Benchmark assessments must align with the CCSS in order to provide the best possible information to aid both student learning and teacher development.