Validity indicates which of the following?

Validity indicates which of the following?

• A. The consistency of scores across time
• B. Indicates how well an assessment measures what it is intended to measure
• C. A process for setting goals
• D. A collection of artifacts used as evidence of learning

Answer: (B)

Validity is about whether an assessment truly measures what it is intended to measure. In other words, the test should tap the specific knowledge, skills, or abilities it’s designed to assess, and the resulting scores should reflect that target construct rather than something else. For example, a reading comprehension test should yield scores that reflect understanding of a passage, not just memory for unrelated facts or decoding speed. That focus on accuracy of measurement is what makes validity the right idea here. What you’re seeing in the other options is different: one describes reliability, which is about the consistency of scores across time or between occasions; another is about setting goals, which is planning rather than measurement accuracy; and another refers to a collection of artifacts used as evidence of learning, which describes portfolios or performance evidence rather than the measurement’s truthfulness about the intended construct.

Validity is about whether an assessment truly measures what it is intended to measure. In other words, the test should tap the specific knowledge, skills, or abilities it’s designed to assess, and the resulting scores should reflect that target construct rather than something else. For example, a reading comprehension test should yield scores that reflect understanding of a passage, not just memory for unrelated facts or decoding speed. That focus on accuracy of measurement is what makes validity the right idea here.

What you’re seeing in the other options is different: one describes reliability, which is about the consistency of scores across time or between occasions; another is about setting goals, which is planning rather than measurement accuracy; and another refers to a collection of artifacts used as evidence of learning, which describes portfolios or performance evidence rather than the measurement’s truthfulness about the intended construct.