Steven Wise, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Steven Wise has published extensively during the past three decades in applied measurement, with particular emphases in computer-based testing and the psychology of test taking. In recent years, his research has focused primarily on practical methods for effectively dealing with the measurement problems posed by low examinee engagement on achievement tests.
Dr. Wise sits on the editorial board of several academic journals and has provided psychometric consultation to a variety of organizations, including state departments of education in Maryland, Virginia, and Nebraska; National Assessment Governing Board; American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence; and GED Testing Service. He served as vice president of research at NWEA and director of the PhD program in assessment and measurement at James Madison University. He holds a PhD in educational psychology, measurement, and statistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Publications by Steven Wise
This study compared the test taking disengagement of students taking a remotely administered an adaptive interim assessment in spring 2020 with their disengagement on the assessment administered in-school during fall 2019.
Topics: Equity, Innovations in reporting & assessment, School & test engagement
Six insights regarding test-taking disengagement
There has been increasing concern about the presence of disengaged test taking in international assessment programs and its implications for the validity of inferences made regarding a country’s level of educational attainment. In this paper, the author discusses six important insights yielded by 20 years of research on this and implications for assessment programs.
The impact of disengaged test taking on a state’s accountability test results
This study investigated test-taking engagement on a large-scale state summative assessment. Overall, results of this study indicate that disengagement has a material impact on individual state summative test scores, though its impact on score aggregations may be relatively minor.
Topics: Equity, Measurement & scaling, School & test engagement
Variation in respondent speed and its implications: Evidence from an adaptive testing scenario
The more frequent collection of response time data is leading to an increased need for an understanding of how such data can be included in measurement models. Models for response time have been advanced, but relatively limited large-scale empirical investigations have been conducted. We take advantage of a large data set from the adaptive NWEA MAP Growth Reading Assessment to shed light on emergent features of response time behavior.
Topics: Innovations in reporting & assessment, School & test engagement
A method for identifying partial test-taking engagement
This paper describes a method for identifying partial engagement and provides validation evidence to support its use and interpretation. When test events indicate the presence of partial engagement, effort-moderated scores should be interpreted cautiously.
Topics: Innovations in reporting & assessment, Measurement & scaling, School & test engagement
A method for identifying partial test-taking engagement
This paper describes a method for identifying partial engagement and provides validation evidence to support its use and interpretation. When test events indicate the presence of partial engagement, effort-moderated scores should be interpreted cautiously.
Topics: School & test engagement
A cessation of measurement: Identifying test taker disengagement using response time
In this session from the National Council on Measurement in Education 2020 virtual conference (from 1:06:40 in video), Dr. Wise shares research insights into test disengagement and how disengagement should be managed in scoring.
