It is crucial when selecting measurement tools to choose technically sound tools, and that match your program’s purposes and identified outcomes.

Matching Measurement Tools with Program Purpose

Tests are designed with specific content or constructs in mind. They also are designed for particular purposes.

Surveys use open questions, closed questions to collect facts, opinions, and attitudes as reported by sample groups of individuals, at a single point in time or at multiple points of time.

Screening tools are brief, quickly administered measures that identify whether more comprehensive or in-depth testing is needed. For example, a tool that screens children for possible developmental delays alerts staff to the need for a referral for more rigorous diagnostic testing.

Diagnostic tools are comprehensive or in-depth measures that establish the presence and nature of a problem or disorder. Diagnostic tools are often used for access to or eligibility for treatment or services.

Program/Performance/Curriculum Relevant tools measure behaviors or skills that directly link to the purpose and content of intervention and instruction. These tools are used to develop intervention goals and objectives and to monitor progress.

Testing and evaluation carry a great deal of weight, such as:

• stress and emotional importance for children and families being tested;
• eligibility determinations and access to funding and services;
• establishing an evidence base for practice; or
• providing evidence to funders to show that our programs are meeting goals and objectives.

There are many legitimate reasons to use testing tools. Still, tests should never be administered unless they are essential to the goals of your program, and you are clear about how the information you collect will benefit the children and families you serve.

The technical, or psychometric, properties of each tool are briefly summarized in the annotations, drawn from information that was readily available from the tool’s publishers or developers.

When you choose a measure, especially for high stakes testing like screening or diagnosis, find technically sound tools––that is, make sure the tool has been thoroughly researched and offers data to support its reliability and validity.

Reliability means that test findings would be the same or similar if the test was repeated, or if two or more persons were scoring the same test.

Validity means that a test measures the construct it claims to measure––such as the constructs childhood social-emotional development or maternal depression. There are different types of reliability and validity. Follow the link below to view a table describing technical properties you should consider when selecting measurement tools.

In some cases, you may choose a tool that has not been thoroughly researched but is acknowledged in your field as helpful in developing or evaluating program outcomes.

When measuring some outcomes, such as assessing classroom social climate or client satisfaction, it likely will not result in harm to children and families if the psychometric testing was limited to only a few key elements and using a smaller sample size.

For screening and diagnoses, however, always select a tool that is well supported by research showing that it is both valid and reliable.