Guidance from Iowa Testing Program (August 2005)
| Q: |
Is it ever appropriate to use previous forms of the assessment (e.g., Forms K and L of the Iowa Tests) for preparation purposes? |
No, the use of previous forms of the accountability tests for practice or preparation purposes also is unethical. Different forms of the same test are designed to be similar in content and skill level so that scores from them can be used relatively interchangeably to estimate growth and improvement. Although the content on a previous form is not exactly the same as that of the current form under use, the similarity is great. Preparation with the previous test form narrows the focus of student learning and restricts the ability of the user to generalize broadly in interpreting the students’ scores. (p. 5)
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