Baldridge criteria

Cross Sources:  Performance indicators Definition:  The Baldridge Criteria for Performance provide a valuable framework for performance excellence and can help institutions assess and measure performance on a wide range of key institutional performance indicators: student/stakeholder, educational service and outcomes, operational, and financial. Reference:

Benchmark

Cross Sources:  Criterion referenced, Standard, Cut score Definition:  A criterion-referenced objective; ”Performance data that are used for comparative purposes. A program can use its own data as a baseline benchmark against which to compare future performance. It can also use data from another program as a benchmark. In the latter case, the other program often is chosen because it is exemplary and its data are used as a target to strive for, rather than as a baseline." (p. xv) Reference:   Hatry, H., van Houten, T., Plantz, M., & Greenway, M.T. (1996).

Bias

Cross Sources:  Differential Item Functioning Definition:  Systemic variance that skews the accurate reporting of data in favor of a particular group Reference:

Bloom's Taxonomy

Cross Sources:  Cognitive development, Cognitive complexity Definition:  Six levels in which cognitively related objects can be categorized by levels of increasing complexity; the levels are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation Reference:  Erwin, T.D. (1991).

Body of evidence

Cross Sources:  Culture of assessment Definition:  Any factual information which bears on the determination reached in a study Reference:

Body of Work (BoW)

Cross Sources:  Angoff, Angoff modified, Bookmark, Competency, Standard setting Definition:  A standard-setting procedure in which panelists examine complete student response sets and match each student response set to a performance level category based upon previously agreed upon descriptions of what students at the different levels should know and be able to do Reference:  Livingston, S.A., & Zieky, M.J. (1989).

Bookmark

Cross Sources:  Angoff, Angoff modified, Body of Work, Competency, Standard setting Definition:  A procedure used to establish a criterion-referenced cutoff of a score/rating determined by content area experts Reference:  Lewis, D. M. (April, 2000).

Bootstrapping

Cross Sources:  Sampling distribution Definition:  A non-parametric approach for making statistical inferences employing large numbers of repetitive computations to estimate the shape of a statistic's sampling distribution Reference:  Mooney, C.Z., & Duval, R.D. (1993).

Breadth of Knowledge

Cross Sources:  General understanding Definition:  The extent of the spectrum (or range) of knowledge Reference:  Messick, S.J. (1999).

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For any comments regarding new terms or suggested definitions for this Dictionary, please write to :   assessment@jmu.edu. Thank you.