ABSTRACT
Clearly reporting results to the intended users of data matters. High-quality tests or other measurement instruments, superior data collection methodologies, and sophisticated statistical analyses-none of these are likely to make much of a difference if the information obtained is not communicated clearly (or at all) and in a way that it can be readily interpreted and used to shape policy or practice. Unfortunately, communication of these findings to stakeholders, ranging from individual examinees to various users of group-level assessment data, has too often been relegated to being an afterthought in the process, though this is changing in many assessment contexts as measurement instruments and other empirical results are increasingly being used for evaluative purposes. In the realm of achievement testing, from K-12 through higher education, to certification and licensure assessment, more and more tests have high stakes associated with them. These stakes include promotion to the next grade, graduation, admissions to university for undergraduate and postgraduate study, entrance into a profession, and program quality monitoring. Also, many colleges and universities use a range of surveys, rubrics, and other data collection methods for assessment purposes and for gathering data to inform institutional policy decisions, and these results often have important implications for policy and practice.
