Question

Cheryl Poulos is philosophically opposed to tests with her third graders on the grounds that it puts undue stress on them. She assigns grades based on their responses in class, arguing, I call on all the students regularly, and I can tell from their answers whether or not they understand the content. Based on this information, which of the following is the most accurate statement?

a. Her assessments are likely to be valid but not reliable.
b. Her assessments are likely to be reliable but not valid.
c. Her assessments are likely to be both valid and reliable.
d. Her assessments are likely to be both invalid and unreliable.

Answer 1

Cheryl Poulos's assessments through classroom questioning could be valid in understanding students' knowledge but are unlikely to be reliable due to their subjective nature and potential inconsistency in results.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering the assessment method of Cheryl Poulos with her third graders, the most accurate statement would be that her assessments are likely to be valid but not reliable. Validity relates to whether an assessment actually measures what it is supposed to measure. In this case, by asking students questions during class and gauging their understanding from responses, Ms. Poulos's assessment approach could likely lead to a valid judgment of students' grasp of the content. However, reliability refers to the consistency of assessment results. Due to the informal and subjective nature of classroom questioning, it might not yield consistent results if repeated or applied by a different teacher, thus lacking reliability.

Answer 2

Cheryl Poulos' assessments are likely to be valid but not reliable.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most accurate statement according to the given information is that her assessments are likely to be valid but not reliable. Validity refers to whether or not an assessment measures what it is intended to measure, while reliability refers to the consistency of results. Cheryl Poulos believes that she can determine student understanding through their class responses, which suggests that her assessments may be valid. However, the reliability of these assessments may be questionable because calling on students randomly in class may not provide a consistent measure of their understanding.