The purpose of this study was to compare the large scale National Assessments between South Korea and the U.S. This study especially focused the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). In Korea since 2002, every year Korea diagnostic basic skills test are a ...
The purpose of this study was to compare the large scale National Assessments between South Korea and the U.S. This study especially focused the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). In Korea since 2002, every year Korea diagnostic basic skills test are administrated for 3rd grade students by Korea Institute of Curriculum & Evaluation (KICE). In this study, the two testing programs were compared.
Mostly comparative analysis methods were used with interview and observation, focused on the test purpose, item development, test administration, reporting, utilization, and policy under the U.S. NCLB (No Child Left Behind) act.
As a results, there were many commonalities and differentness between the two tests. The results revealed the weak points of Korea diagnostic basic skills test, and to present new direction of it.
In conclusion, it is the time to redesign the Korea diagnostic basic skills test for its purpose and new development. Some recommendation are suggested.
First of all, it is necessary to be included not only diagnostic test but also achievement test as Korea basic skills test's purpose. The test should be developed based ‘general curriculum’. Many national norm scores, such as percentile rank, national stanine, standards score, and grade equivalent, should be developed also. Items should be developed multiple-choiced test. Number of test items should be increased, and test difficulty should go upward.
Second, many reading and writing related sub topics were compared, and suggested such as construction of sub tests, item developing processes, item equivalent processes, item framework, reading passage difficulty, deciding cut score, and reading test's content specification.
Third, many new test related materials should be developed, such as test administration direction, test interpretative guides, reporting documents for variant audience. Test sampling should be included special education students, analysis of sub group should be changed, teacher and school accountability should be more highly required.
Finally, the test reports should be more easily assessed to the public, and test data should be assessed to researchers for further research.