THE PERFORMANCE DOMAIN AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE DECISION SPACE

The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for the set of articles in this special issue comparing the utility of three standard-setting methods with complex performance assessments. The article begins with a description of the context for the standard-setting study, a certification program for identifying highly accomplished teachers in early adolescence/English language arts. A brief discussion of standard setting with complex performance assessments follows. The three experimental standard-setting methods used in this comparative study are then outlined. Next, the assessment context that formed the basis for the comparative study of the utility of these three methods is presented. The article concludes with a section delineating some of the criteria used to compare the utility of the three experimental standard-setting methods.