Less Truth than Error? An Independent Study of the Massachusetts Teacher Tests.

The Massachusetts Teacher Tests (MTT), introduced last year, have never been subject to external review as required by the measurement profession's standards and many legal precedents. Neither the Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) nor the tests' manufacturer have made public information about the exams' reliability (consistency) or validity (meaningfulness). Using data from state and academic reports from the April and July test dates, an ad hoc committee of nationally-known researchers has now been able to make a preliminary assessment of the exams. The committee focused on the Communications and Literacy exam that was required of all prospective teachers regardless of grade level or subject area. The purpose of the analysis was to determine the accuracy of the tests in assessing the reading and writing skills of the test-takers. Scores on the Massachusetts Teacher Tests of reading and writing are highly unreliable. The tests' margin of error is close to double to triple the range found on well-developed tests. A person retaking the MTT several times could have huge