Special Education Intervention Programs Program E

Program Evaluation of an Assessment Center

In this unit, you read about a variety of resources, such as tests or measures and methods, which can be utilized in a variety of work settings.

In many settings, several of these resources are incorporated into a single comprehensive design or program to address multiple issues or needs, or answer multiple questions. One such program is the assessment center, which you were introduced to in your Psychological Testing and Assessment text. Since an assessment center, or any similar program using multiple assessment techniques (for example, school counseling programs, and special education intervention programs), typically provides decisions regarding a number of questions, then it is important, if not a requirement, to evaluate the program for efficacy and utility.

You also learned about the concept of utility in the context of testing and assessment as applied to a single measure in Unit 5. Considerations involved in determining utility can also be applied to large-scale testing programs that employ multiple tests or measures in a selected battery.

While the authors of your Psychological Testing and Assessment text introduced an assessment center from 1956 that incorporated multiple tools and methods, the Thornton and Gibbons’ 2009 article, “Validity of Assessment Centers for Personnel Selection,” elaborated on a review of the validity of elements of contemporary assessment centers and considerations when employing them.

Instructions

For this discussion, take into consideration the factors that affect a test’s utility, which was identified in your Psychological Testing and Assessment text as psychometric soundness, costs, and benefits (pages 212–218), as well as practical considerations when conducting utility analyses, which includes pool of applicants, complexity of the job, and use of cut scores (pages 232–235).

Identify three specific measures for a management assessment center addressing selection, placement, promotion, and career training.

1. Identify a specific instrument for each of the following areas:
   • Ability or aptitude testing.
   • Occupational career or interests.
   • Personality.
2. Discuss one advantage and one disadvantage in selecting these tests for the battery.
3. Identify at least one issue regarding factors of utility and utility analysis with this battery of tests.
4. Include how you would evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating your measures into this battery. How would you determine that the three tests are adequate for addressing the purposes of selection, placement, promotion, and career training?

Include, in your discussion, if and how computerized assessment could be incorporated into your battery or evaluation.

Response Guidelines

Respond to the post of at least one other learner.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

• Explain how testing may have utility in settings of use.
• Analyze applications of testing for different purposes and populations.
• Apply writing and citations skills appropriate for doctoral-level learners.

Studies

Key Concepts

Review Unit 10 Key Concepts [PDF].

Readings

Use your Psychological Testing and Assessment text to read the following:

• Chapter 15, Assessment, Careers, and Business,” pages 524–566.

Use your Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing text to read the following:​

• Chapter 11, “Workplace Testing and Credentialing,” pages 169–182.
• Chapter 13, “Uses of Tests for Program Evaluation, Policy Studies, and Accountability,” pages 203–210.

Use the Capella library to read the following:

• Thornton, G. C., III., & Gibbons, A. M. (2009). Validity of assessment centers for personnel selection. Human Resource Management Review, 19(3), 169–187.

Media

Complete the following Capella multimedia:

• Timeline of Program Evaluation.
• Program Evaluation: Experiences.
  • Listen to three practitioners sharing their experiences.
• Leadership Self-Assessment.
• Workplace Values Card Sort.

Unit 10 Graded Quiz

Complete the Unit 10 Graded Quiz. This unit’s quiz includes 50 multiple-choice items. In preparation for the quiz, you may want to refer to the keyword list for all the units, including the one in this unit.

Learning Components

This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:

• Identify purposes and types of testing.
• Explain how testing may have utility in settings of use.
• Define key concepts for quiz preparation.