APPLIED MEASUREMENT IN EDUCATION, 21: 1–21, 2008 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0895-7347 print / 1532-4818 online DOI: 10.1080/08957340701580728 HAME 0895-7347 1532-4818 Applied Measurement in Education, Vol. 20, No. 4, August 2007: pp. 1–36 Applied Measurement in Education RESEARCH ARTICLES The Rating and Matching Item-Objective Alignment Methods Item-Objective Alignment Methods D’AGOSTINO ET AL. Jerome V. D’Agostino The Ohio State University Megan E. Welsh, Adriana D. Cimetta, Lia D. Falco, and Shannon Smith University of Arizona Waverely Hester VanWinkle Educational Testing Service Sonya J. Powers University of Iowa Central to the standards-based assessment validation process is an examination of the alignment between state standards and test items. Several alignment analysis systems have emerged recently, but most rely on either traditional rating or matching techniques. Little, if any, analyses have been reported on the degree of consistency between the two methods and on the item and objective characteristics that influence judges' decisions. We randomly assigned judges to either rate item-objective links or match items to objectives while reviewing the 2004 Arizona high school mathematics standards and assessment. Across items we found moderate convergence between methods, and we detected apparent reasons for divergently scored items. We also found that judges relied Correspondence should be addressed to Jerome V. D’Agostino, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, 29 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus, OH 43210-1177. E-mail: dagostino.22@osu.edu