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Catherine Taylor is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Washington College of Education, with a research focus on four major areas: professional preparation of teachers, classroom assessment issues, large-scale assessment, and validity issues in testing. Taylor emphasizes the significance of classroom as a central location for assessment decisions and has conducted extensive research on instructional models to prepare pre-service teachers. Future research endeavors include exploring classroom assessment related to standards-based grading practices, developing and validating diagnostic assessments, and enhancing higher-order reading and mathematics skills. Taylor's validity research on large-scale testing addresses potential sources of bias, particularly concerning item types, such as constructed-response versus multiple-choice test items. Her ultimate goal is to challenge existing assumptions and raise pertinent questions within the measurement community regarding how assessment influences students and the validity of interpretations made about students. Currently, she is engaged in research that investigates evidence validity methods in scoring performance-based assessments in mathematics, reading, and writing.
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