A teacher uses formative exit tickets to monitor progress. The class shows high variability in scores. What should the administrator require to ensure data reliability?

• A. Check for assessment validity and reliability, ensure consistent administration, and implement calibration of teachers scoring rubrics.
• B. Increase the number of questions without checking validity.
• C. Use a single teacher's perspective.
• D. Remove the exit tickets as unreliable.

Answer: (A)

When scores vary widely, the focus is on making sure the measurement is consistent and truly reflects what students know and can do. For formative exit tickets, this means ensuring the assessment is valid (it measures the intended learning outcomes) and reliable (scores are consistent across students and across teachers under the same conditions). The administrator should require checks of validity and reliability, ensure the assessment is administered in a consistent way (same prompts, timing, instructions, and environment), and implement calibration of teachers’ scoring rubrics so different teachers score responses in the same way. These steps reduce measurement error and make the data trustworthy for guiding instruction.

Increasing the number of questions without validating the instrument doesn’t fix reliability, using a single teacher’s perspective introduces bias, and removing the exit tickets eliminates useful data.