Writing Manuals and Reports

Tests need to be accompanied by documentation of various sorts. This is paramount when the test will be used by people who were not involved in the test development process. Traditionally, tests have been accompanied by an Examiners' Manual and a Technical Manual. These are still necessary. But since the passage of the No Child Left Behind legislation, states are now required to produce a variety of reports for accountability purposes. Not only that, but under the new legislation, test developers, whether individual states or commercial publishers, are now expected to produce ongoing research results that show the scientific basis for the test.

At Lidget Green we can write these manuals and reports for you. We can also write up the results of validation studies and other research studies according to the highest professional standards.

Examiners' Manuals

The Examiners' Manual is essentially the instruction manual on how to use the test. It should contain detailed instructions on how to administer and score the test, as well as provide guidelines on how to interpret and use the test results. The Examiners' Manual needs to be written in a clear, comprehensible manner so that it can be understood and used by those who do not have a technical assessment background.

Technical Manuals

Technical manuals are intended to provide the scientific evidence that the test does what it is designed to do. Although all documentation should be clearly written, technical manuals are usually addressed to assessment specialists who are able to evaluate the information provided. Although the content of the technical manual will vary according to the nature and purpose of the test, it is customary to include evidence for content appropriacy, details of the field testing, item analyses, correlations between different parts of the test, correlations with other measures, details of any standard-setting studies, scaling, results of validation studies, etc. The main purpose is to show that the test is valid for the purposes for which it will be used. Details of the samples used in such studies are reported, and when normative information is provided, the sample is described in considerable detail.

Accountability Reports

Testing systems are often required to produce reports on the performance of their test-takers. Traditionally this has been for general information purposes, but since the passage of the No Child Left Behind legislation, states need to provide reports on their students' progress for accountability purposes.

Writing Up Validation and Research Studies

For high-stakes tests, it is good professional practice to publish validation studies, as well as results of other research studies designed to bolster and supplement the initial validation studies. Carrying out the studies is one thing, and writing them up is quite another. These reports need to be written according to rigorous professional and academic requirements.

The No Child Left Behind legislation requires that tests must also be scientifically based. Not only must test-users provide this evidence, but it must also be written in an appropriate professional manner. At Lidget Green we can provide this service to you.

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