Hale Center's Psychometrics Services

Want to validate your tests? Interpret test scores? Confirm the equitability of test forms? Interpret survey data? Apply qualitative and quantitative analyses to your data? Consider using the Center’s Psychometrics Services.

The Center’s psychometric services include training subject matter experts in how to develop tests, designing research and job analyses studies, analyzing test and research data, and documenting findings with recommendations.

Training. The Center has training on how to develop response-supplied items such as, multiple-choice, matching, and drag-and-drop. It also has training on how to develop performance-based tests and their supporting scoring tools such as checklists and rubrics. The performance-based tests include evaluating physical and cognitive behaviors demonstrated in simulations, oral interviews, lab exercises, games, job tasks, and the like. The training includes workbooks, practice exercises, quality controls tools, examples and non-examples. The training can be delivered in-person and virtually.

The Center offers the Mini Assessment Series that consists of short webinars ranging from 45 to 90 minutes. Topics include Multiple-choice Items, Performance Items, Checklists, and Rubrics. Visit Events to find out more and to register. Training can also be scheduled at a time convenient for you and your staff.

The Center also offers the Mini Data Gathering Series. It consists of short webinars ranging from 45 to 75 minutes. Topics include Operational Definitions, Observational Interviews, Sociograms, and Critical-Incident Interviews. Training can also be scheduled at a time convenient for you and your staff. Visit Events to find out more and to register.

Note: The Center continues to add topics to the mini-series, including psychometric treatments and additional data gathering methods such as the Nominal Group and Delphi Techniques. Visit the Hale Center website and look under Upcoming Events.

Analytic, Psychometric, and Evaluation Analyses.
The Center performs psychometric treatments to test, survey, interview, and research data. The analyses of test data measure the validity and reliability of tests, the difficulty of test items and tests, the internal consistency of test items, the equivalency of test forms, the significance of findings, and the degree to which test results correlate with other external measures. The analyses of survey, interview, and other data-gathering methods determine the significance of findings, the differences across populations, and the frequency and classification of themes.

Statistical treatments include but are not limited to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to determine the standard error and standard deviations of samples of 20 or more such as in test items or test scores; Rank Correlation Coefficient (Rho) to discover if there is a relationship between two sets of variables such as passing rates and errors rates; t-Test of Dependent Variables to determine gains or growth in skills or knowledge; Chi Square Goodness of Fit to determine if there are significant differences in samples as small as six with what is expected; P-tests to identify underperforming items, and Chronbach’s Alpha to measure internal consistency of items and reliability of tests.

Design.
The Center also offers advice on the design of job and research studies and the use of statistical treatments. The Center focuses on controlling sampling, content, construct, and administrative error. Sampling error occurs when stakeholders are under or not adequately represented. The Center recommends the most appropriate sampling strategy given the goals of the study or analysis such as random, stratified, convenience, and representative.

Content error occurs when the line of inquiry is not related to the goals of the study. Construct error occurs when the form of the inquiry is ill-formed, misleading, or does not follow the principles of Plain Language. Administrative error occurs when there is a lack of consistency in the administration of tests or lines of inquiry.

What distinguishes the Center’s psychometric services is the integrity of the design, line of inquiry, and analysis of the findings.

Please contact us at Judy@HaleCenter.org for a discussion of your needs.