Opportunity-to-Learn Effects on Achievement: Analytical Aspects

Abstract

A set of methods is proposed for the analysis of opportunity to learn (OTL) in relation to achievement in large-scale educational assessments. The focus is on how to assess the effect of OTL on performance while taking prior performance and other background factors into account. The methods are illustrated with mathematics data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and from the National Education Longitudinal Study. Methods are discussed for combining OTL information, for studying the OTL sensitivity of test items, and for studying OTL effects in the context of multivariate proficiency scores as well as scores from several occasions. Implications for future large-scale educational assessments are discussed.