The DESSA has been standardized and norm - referenced, and the strong reliability and
validity of the assessment demonstrate that it is an effective measure of the social and emotional competency of K - 8 students.
Although many aspects
of the
validity of performance
assessments besides their relationship to external criteria are important to consider (see Baker, O'Neil, & Linn, 1993; Frederiksen & Collins, 1989; Linn, Baker & Dunbar, 1991), a design that
demonstrates evidence for the
validity of curriculum - embedded performance
assessment and the trustworthiness
of teacher judgments is a key ingredient in
demonstrating to practitioners and policy makers the accuracy and practicality
of their use.