Body of Work Method

Body of work is a methodology used for standard setting. Broadly, standard setting is a process used to determine minimally acceptable scores of an assessment. Originally developed by Stuart Kahl, Timothy Crockett, Charles DePascale, and Sally Rindfleisch, the body of work method is generally used for setting standards for assessments that include, but are not limited to, constructed response tasks. Because examples of real student work are the heart of the body of work method, the process is considered an examinee-centered method rather than a test-centered method, which would focus more on the test items themselves. This entry discusses the work leading up to standard setting using the body of work method, what happens during the process, and the evidence that is collected to support ...