Development and validation of an assessment tool for a national young worker curriculum

Abstract

Background: An online, multiple-choice assessment was developed and validated for Youth@Work-Talking Safety, a NIOSH curriculum that equips middle and high school students with foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills.

Methods: Classical Test Theory was used for the test development and validation; the Jaeger method was used for cut score determination. A total of 118 multiple-choice items were developed to measure the acquisition of knowledge and skills taught through the NIOSH curriculum. Pilot testing was conducted with 192 8-12th grade students and a cut score was determined.

Results: The mean score for all test-takers on the Talking Safety assessment was 80.9%; total test reliability measured using an Alpha/KR20 statistic was 0.93. A minimum passing (cut) score of 74% was established.

Conclusions: The assessment provides an objective measure of students' acquisition of the foundational workplace safety and health competencies taught through the Talking Safety curriculum. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:969-978, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (U.S.); adolescent; assessment; curriculum; measurement; occupational injuries; safety; work; young workers.

FIGURE 1

Steps involved in the Talking Safety assessment development process.

FIGURE 2

Distribution of student scores on the Talking Safety assessment.