This book explores the notion of validity evaluation as a means for helping educators to ensure
the utility and worth of their assessment practices. With a particular focus on foreign
language testing the author challenges assessment traditions and argues for a fundamental
reconceptualization of assessments and their validation in language teaching and other
educational settings. Following a critical review of test validity standards and methods within
educational measurement the author then proposes a comprehensive alternative approach to
validation based upon program evaluation methodology. A report of a multi-year case study
completes the volume providing in-depth analyses of how validity evaluation methods were
applied by foreign language educators in meeting the assessment needs of a German program at a
US university.
