ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the issues associated with the design, development, and implementation of end-of-course tests that are used for both student assessment and teacher evaluation. It begins with a brief description of current end-of course testing programs and teacher evaluation models that employ indicators based on student achievement data. The chapter reviews the major steps involved in designing and developing end-of-course tests. It describes a traditional, sequential approach because it reflects how most current end-of-course tests are developed. Generally speaking, end-of-course tests are designed to contribute to the determination of whether students have reached a level required to pass a course and/or achieved a standard of proficiency that has been externally mandated. When an end-of-course test is intended for use in teacher evaluation, intended interpretations must be consistent with the teacher evaluation model. For pre-post statistical models, student learning gain is defined in terms of the amount of course material mastered by the end of the course.
