Background, College Experiences, and the ACT-COMP Exam: Using Construct Validity to Evaluate Assessment Instruments

This article presents one criterion for judging the appropriateness of standardized tests as assessment instruments. To be valid indicators of program effectiveness, test scores should discriminate between indicators associated with educational quality and variables beyond the control of education. Research on the appropriateness of one standardized test for program evaluation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provides mixed results. Whilie the test primarily measures individual differences, it is also sensitive to the effects of higher education.