8 Reliability

Chapter 8 of the Dynamic Learning Maps^® (DLM^®) Alternate Assessment System 2014–2015 Technical Manual—Year-End Model (Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium, 2016b) describes the methods used to calculate reliability for the DLM assessment system and provided results at six levels, consistent with the levels of reporting. The 2015–2016 Technical Manual Update—Year-End Model (Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium, 2017b) expands the description of the methods used to calculate reliability and provides results at six reporting levels.

Assessment administration during the 2019–2020 academic year was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to school closures in response to the pandemic, very few students completed all assessments. As a result, only limited results were reported in data files and individual student score reports.⁷ See Chapter 7 of this manual for a description of the results reported in 2019–2020. Additionally, DLM assessments use a simulation methodology for estimating the reliability of each level of reporting, using the current year’s operational data. Because very few students completed the assessment, the simulation for 2019–2020 would be based on limited and non-representative sample that may not be representative of the full DLM population. Therefore, updated reliability evidence is not provided for the 2019–2020 administration. Please refer to the Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium (2019b) for the most recent evidence of reliability.

In 2019–2020, results were reported as the highest linkage level mastered for each assessed Essential Element (EE). For a summary of EE and linkage level reliability evidence from the 2018–2019 administration, see sections 8.3.4 and 8.3.5, respectively, of the 2018–2019 Technical Manual Update—Integrated Model (Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium, 2019a).