Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing

Your First College Year Survey (YFCY) is now open for administration!

The YFCY survey measures students’ academic, social, and co-curricular experiences and development throughout the first year of college. It is the second in the HERI longitudinal survey series.

Focus: Academic experiences, extracurricular involvement, satisfaction and sense of belonging, perceptions of campus climate, interactions with diverse others, student-faculty interactions, health and wellness, and perceptions of intellectual growth.

https://heri.ucla.edu/your-first-college-year-survey/

ACE, UCLA School of Education & Information Studies, and the Higher Education Research Institute released Understanding the Entering Class of 2024 from the CIRP Freshman Survey. Key insights on diversity, financial pressures, academic confidence, and mental health challenges.

Essential reading for higher ed leaders!

https://heri.ucla.edu/ace-and-ucla-edis-release-heri-report-highlighting-key-trends-among-first-year-college-students/

We're proud to share that Jia Wang is presenting at the 7th International Conference on Education Evaluation and Monitoring in Beijing today!

Her presentation focuses on the program evaluation of the Literacy Design Collaborative. "Study Design Cycles in Education Research: A Teacher Training Example"

📢 We’re thrilled to unveil the new face of CRESST! Our redesigned website is live, featuring a fresh look, improved navigation, and a user-friendly experience. 🌐 Dive in to explore CRESST’s work in education, research, and assessment, and discover how we’re making a difference in learning outcomes. ✨

🔗 Check it out at https://cresst.org/

CRESST Director Li Cai will be live on “AirTalk with Larry Mantle” on LAist 89.3 this morning for a session on grade inflation! The segment is planned for 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday, 10/16. Listen live on 89.3 FM or stream online at:

AirTalk Lively and in-depth discussions of city news, politics, science, entertainment, the arts, and more.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded UCLA Health researchers a 2.1 million dollar award to find objective ways to assess patient health in mental health. CRESST Director Li Cai will bring his decades of experience in educational and psychological measurement to collaborate on this project.

(See our Linktree or use this direct link: https://cresst.org/news/cresst-director-li-cai-to-collaborate-on-newly-awarded-federal-grant-to-ucla-health/)

We asked our team: "What drives your passion in education, and how do you see it reflected in your work?" Here are what some of our team-members had to say.

Velette Bozeman, Statistician: "What ignites my passion is to see growth... It's always rewarding to see how a project improves over time, reflecting the development of teachers and students."

Ledis Marlene Castillo, Assessment Design Project Manager: "What really ignites my passion is honestly, things that I know are going to be seen directly by students and teachers. That’s where I came from, and that's what I think is most important."

Brooke Jambor, Assessment Design Project Manager: "It's really about the families and ensuring students get access to quality instruction. Our assessments must tell a story that helps teachers support students where they need it most."

Tianying (Teanna) Feng, Graduate Student Researcher: "I like the project. I like the people I work with. I enjoy thinking through the problem posed by this relatively new format that is game-based assessment."

Ryan Lerch, Graduate Student Researcher: "My research is driven by a deep understanding that data represents real students' lives. Every minor adjustment in educational assessments can significantly impact children's futures."

Linda Adreani, Associate Research Scientist: "My passion is rooted in creating equitable opportunities for all students, ensuring that educational policies don't just look good on paper but truly make a difference in classrooms."

Cathryn Still, Executive Director at ELPA21: "I am deeply committed to creating assessments that are not only practical but truly beneficial for both teachers and students.

As more school districts consider generative AI tools for their students and teachers, our AI experts have some advice for things to keep in mind while vetting vendors.

Read more: https://cresst.org/news/navigating-the-maze-vetting-ai-vendors-for-privacy-and-data-protection/

We’re busy today at and … stop by and learn with us!

Today in the Terrace Ballroom IV

Developing Indicators of Code Quality For Block-Based Programming

Sat, April 13, 3:05 to 4:35pm, Convention Center, Floor: Fourth, Terrace Ballroom IV

Abstract
We present an automated approach to analyzing code structures of block-based programs and developing indicators of code quality: complexity, content, and structure. Using sample responses for debugging tasks from the Scratch repository, we validate how our indicators reflect a priori categorizations of four debugging patterns and present preliminary findings.

Thrilled to be in Philly - thanks to everyone who found registration (on Market Street!) and is here with us for our training session on game design for measurement and assessment.