About Me
Biography
I am a Professor of Research and Evaluation Methodology in the School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder, where I have been on the faculty since 2002. I currently serve as the Associate Dean for Faculty and as Director of the Center for Assessment Design Research and Evaluation (CADRE).
My work sits at the intersection of educational measurement, psychometrics, and policy. I am driven by the fundamental question: How do we know what students have truly learned? This deceptively simple question leads to deep considerations of validity, reliability, and the proper interpretation of test scores.
Education
| Degree | Field | Institution | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. | Education | University of California, Berkeley | 2002 |
| M.A. | Education | University of California, Berkeley | 1998 |
| B.A. | Economics | Carleton College | 1993 |
Professional Honors & Service
Honors
- Elected Fellow, American Educational Research Association
- Member, National Academy of Education
Leadership
- Former President, National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME)
- Former Editor, Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice
Research Interests
My research spans several interconnected areas:
- Validity theory and the logic of assessment-based arguments
- Item response theory and psychometric modeling
- Educational accountability and the use of test scores for policy decisions
- Causal inference in educational research
- Learning progressions and developmental models of student understanding
- Foundational issues in measurement terminology and theory
Current Projects
I am increasingly interested in how artificial intelligence can be leveraged for both teaching and research in the measurement sciences. This website serves as a space to document and share my explorations in this area.
Curriculum Vitae
A full CV is available for download: Download CV (PDF)
Contact
Office: Miramontes Baca Education Building, Room 400D Address: 249 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 Email: derek.briggs@colorado.edu Phone: 303-492-6320