Ross Moen, Ph.D.

Ross Moen is a research psychologist who analyzes theory and data to improve education. Prior to joining NCEO he worked for over 25 years with dozens of school districts on many assessment-related projects. As a research associate at NCEO, Dr. Moen challenges administrators, educators, and investigators to consider the effects that different assessment practices have on instruction and learning for all students.  Projects he has worked on at NCEO include assessment accommodations, out of level testing, universal design of assessment, AYP reporting, alternate assessments on modified achievement standards, accessible reading assessment, and growth models. The challenges of assessing students who have disabilities and students who are not native English speakers have led him to look closely at issues such as competing views of test value and validity, the goal of instructional sensitivity, and the use of typical learning progressions in developing cognitively based assessments. He is particularly interested in balanced assessment systems that integrate assessment of, for, and as learning.

Select Publications:

Examination of a reading pen as a partial auditory accommodation for reading assessment (2010). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Partnership for Accessible Reading Assessment. With Thurlow, M. L., Lekwa, A. J., & Scullin, S. B.

Using growth for accountability: Considerations for students with disabilities (Policy Directions 21) (2010). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. With Thurlow, M. L., Lazarus, S. S., & Quenemoen, R. F.

Identifying less accurately measured students. Journal of Applied Testing Technology (2009). With Liu, K., Thurlow, M., Lekwa, A., Scullin, S., & Hausmann, K.

Differentials of a state reading assessment: Item functioning, distractor functioning, and omission frequency for disability categories. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice (2009). With Kato, K., & Thurlow, M. L.

State's procedures for ensuring the precision and accuracy of out-of-level test scores (Out-of-Level Testing Report 14) (2004). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. With Minnema, J. E., Thurlow, M. L. & VanGetson, G. R.

Progress monitoring in an inclusive standards-based assessment and accountability system (Synthesis Report 53) (2003). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. With Quenemoen, R. F., Thurlow, M. L., Thompson, S. & Morse, A. B.