The theme of the 2019 NCME conference is “Communicating with the Public about Educational Measurement.” In the context of this theme, the “public” is meant to include many possible audiences—voters, parents, educators, policymakers, journalists, and students of all ages. Ways of communicating directly with students are of particular interest.
The “communications” theme encompasses two strands. One is technical in nature: We need to continue to work on developing creative and effective ways to communicate test results in a comprehensible way. This includes communicating clearly about measurement error—an ongoing challenge. Improvements in both verbal and visual means of communication, possibly including dynamic displays, are included here.
Another facet of communicating with the public involves engaging in a straightforward and honest way about the role of testing in society, recognizing that it has not always been a positive one. Acknowledging the pluses and minuses of testing can lead us to produce better, fairer tests, while increasing our credibility in the eyes of the public.
In recognition of this theme, the program committee will seek a broad range of proposals for inclusion on the 2019 conference program, in particular those concerned with:
- innovative approaches for communicating test results verbally or visually,
- dynamic displays for communicating test results,
- communicating about the pros and cons of testing,
- communicating test results directly to students.
2019 NCME Annual Meeting Program