IPT Test Development Progress Report

Spring/Summer 2003: Background Research and Analysis
As NCLB-compliant tests need to be standards based and focused on academic language, the Ballard & Tighe test development team researched and analyzed:

  • The language demands described in more than 15 states’ standards in five subject areas — this work continues as standards are revised and updated
  • The language demands in subject area textbooks and statewide achievement tests
  • Live and videotaped observations of classroom activities and discussions
  • Focus group discussions conducted with over 100 teachers from five states

Fall 2003: Test Specification Development
In this phase of test development, the assessment team:

  • Summarized the research results to create test specifications
  • Defined what the test will be assessing and how it will be accomplished
  • Defined clearly the language skills to be tested
  • Streamlined the overall test design
  • Sent out the first version of the test specifications for review by internal staff, teachers, scholars
  • Revised and finalized the test specifications in preparation for item writing

Winter 2004: Item Writing, Review and Revision
To create test items for the IPT testing system, Ballard & Tighe conducted a series of item writing workshops:

  • Item writing specialists guided experienced, working teachers and educators
    representing all content areas and grade levels
  • Participants wrote numerous test items based on the finalized test specifications
  • The newly created test items underwent three careful reviews,
    – by grade-level teachers across the United States
    – by members of a Bias/Sensitivity Panel
    – by language acquisition and testing experts
  • After the review process, the test development team revised and selected test items
    for inclusion in the field test.

Spring/Summer 2004: Field Testing and Analysis
The selected test items have undergone nationwide field testing:

  • Conducted at elementary, middle and high schools in 15 states
  • Including over 5,000 English language learners
  • Testing thousands of items designed to evaluate Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills spanning grade levels 1 to 12

Purpose of Field Testing

  • Establishes vertical and horizontal scaling for the IPT tests
  • Gathers data about how the test items perform with real students

Fall 2004: Creation of Operational Test Forms
During this test development phase, the assessment team:

  • Analyzed and combined the field test results
  • Collated the IPT test items and referenced them for use
  • Created operational test forms drawn from the test items

Fall 2004: Pilot Testing and Analysis
For this critical stage of test development, experts in testing and psychometrics:

  • Pilot-tested the entirely new test forms at schools across the United States
  • Analyzed the data from the pilot testing

Purpose of Pilot Testing:

  • Ensures the test works as intended
  • Checks the functionality of administrative procedures
  • Streamlines the test delivery process
  • Guarantees the quality and user-friendliness of the final product

December 2004: Final Test Assembly
With pilot testing and analysis of the results successfully completed, production of the final testing materials began in December 2004. Ballard & Tighe’s assessment team assembled the final IPT test forms for all four language modalities – Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing – for grade levels 1 to 12.

Summer 2005: Publication
Ballard & Tighe’s comprehensive, NCLB-compliant IPT language proficiency testing system was fully functional and published, ready for delivery to states and school districts nationwide by Summer 2005.
• Item Development
• Field Testing