Chapter 01
Validity Explained
Validity is a property of interpretation, not merely of an instrument. The same score can be valid for one decision and invalid for another.
GI-004Assessment Science™Foundational Publication28 min read
Validity in Governance Measurement
Measuring What Matters Most
Executive Summary
Validity is the question of whether an instrument measures what it claims to measure. In governance, this is harder than it looks: many constructs boards care about are latent and multidimensional.
This monograph maps four types of validity — face, content, construct, and criterion — to the everyday judgments boards make about their assessment instruments.
Board Chair Brief
A valid assessment produces findings the board recognizes as true, even when uncomfortable. If findings feel foreign, validity — not the board's self-awareness — is often the issue.
Chapter 02
Face Validity
Does the instrument look like it measures what it claims? Directors will engage with instruments that pass this test and disengage from those that do not.
Chapter 03
Content Validity
Do the items cover the full domain of the construct? A composition assessment that ignores stakeholder representation cannot claim content validity for composition.
Chapter 04
Construct Validity
Do measured factors behave as theory predicts — converging with related constructs and diverging from unrelated ones?
Chapter 05
Criterion Validity
Do scores predict, or track, observable governance outcomes over time? Criterion validity is the highest bar and the strongest defense of an instrument.
Chapter 06
Case Examples
A composition instrument that scores highly on face validity yet fails construct validity produces boards that look good on paper and misfire in the room.
Interactive Graphic
Validity Wheel™
Four types of validity that together establish that an instrument measures what it claims.
- Face
- Content
- Construct
- Criterion
BEACON Perspective™
In governance, validity is not a technical formality. It is the reason directors trust findings enough to act on them.
Board Reflection™ · Discussion Questions
- When our assessment reports something surprising, do we take it seriously — or do we discount it?
- Which of the four validities does our current instrument document most weakly?
FAQ
- Can an instrument be reliable but not valid?
- Yes — and this is common. Reliability is repeatability; validity is meaning. Trustworthy assessment requires both.
References
- Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In Educational Measurement.
- American Educational Research Association (AERA). Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.
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