In virtually all aspects of education, assessments play a critical role. Educational tests affect the future of students, the activities of teachers, and the evaluation of schools. Similarly, educational tests are used across the workplace in credentialing, employment settings, and placement. The theme for the 2020 NCME conference is Making Measurement Matter, which reflects the critical role of educational measurement in modern society.
Making Measurement Matter is described through four separate strands and we encourage proposals that address these strands. The four strands are (a) Using tests to provide actionable information to improve instruction and student learning, (b) reaching out to educational and professional communities to help them improve assessment practices, (c) the development and implementation of assessments that are fair and appropriate for all students, and (d) leveraging technology to improve the efficiency, privacy, and validity of educational assessments.To support the theme of Making Measurement Matter, the 2020 conference is encouraging proposals that focus on:
- comprehensive assessment programs that include not just the assessment, but also a theory of action to improve teaching and learning
- bringing outside voices into the educational measurement community and engage in meaningful discussions about the current state and future of educational assessment
- fairness issues that evaluate the appropriateness of assessment programs for all individuals involved, including historically marginalized test takers as well as downstream users of the test results
- how assessment programs can be delivered that take full advantage of technology to fully support the goals and objectives of the education programs.
Lastly, one of the over-arching goals for the 2020 is to encourage greater communication amongst our participants. These interactions are valuable aspects of the entire conference experience, and frequently the greatest learning can be obtained in the informal conversations amongst old acquaintances or new colleagues. To support this objective, the 2020 conference will contain a greater number of eBoards than in years past and will also be introducing Research Blitz sessions. Research Blitz sessions will contain multiple papers centered around a theme, with researchers provided a 5-minute opportunity to quickly describe their research. Once participants have completed these summaries, the room will be designed to allow for further discussion amongst participants.
The 2020 conference also encourages presentations delivered through new or innovative formats. If individuals wish to propose innovative formats, please describe how the format could be used and how it will aid in the dissemination of the research to be presented.
