Toward a Framework for Validating Gains Under High-Stakes Conditions

Although high-stakes testing is now widespread, methods for evaluating the validity of gains obtained under high-stakes conditions are poorly developed. This report presents an approach for evaluating the validity of inferences based on score gains on high-stakes tests. It describes the inadequacy of traditional validation approaches for validating gains under high-stakes conditions and outlines an alternative validation framework for conceptualizing meaningful and inflated score gains. The report draws on this framework to suggest a classification of forms of test preparation and their likely effects on the validity of gains. Finally, it suggests concrete directions for validation efforts that would be consistent with the framework.