Anne Traynor
Associate Professor
Educational Psychology & Research MethodologyEducational Studies
- Ph.D. — Measurement and Quantitative Methods, Michigan State University (2014)
- B.S. — Science-Education, University of Notre Dame (2003)
- 2020 – present
Associate Professor
Department of Educational Studies, College of Education, Purdue University
- 2014 – 2020
Assistant Professor
Department of Educational Studies, College of Education, Purdue University
- 2013 – 2014
Quantitative Methods Consultant. Department of Teacher Education. College of Education. Michigan State University.
- 2012
Intern
Measurement Research Department
ACT, Inc., Iowa City, IA
- 2009 – 2012
Research and Teaching Assistant
Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education
College of Education, Michigan State University
- 2008 – 2009
Interviewer
Center for Advancing Research and Communication in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago
- 2005 – 2008
Principal
Xavier High School, Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia
- 2003 – 2008
Science Teacher
Xavier High School, Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia
- 2002 – 2003
Practicum Teacher
Mishawaka High School, Mishawaka, Indiana
My research addresses technical and practical issues in educational assessment and measurement. My current projects evaluate methods for measuring test-to-curriculum alignment, refining scoring rubrics, and quantifying the ‘instructional sensitivity’ of test items. I also collaborate on quantitative policy evaluations in science and mathematics education.
** I am currently accepting new graduate students for Fall 2025. Feel welcome to contact me about your interests, or apply directly.
Selected Publications
- Traynor, A., Li, T., & Zhou, S. (2020). Gauging uncertainty in test-to-curriculum alignment indices. Applied Measurement in Education, 33(2), 141–158.
- Traynor, A., & Merzdorf, H. E. (2018). Rater agreement in test-to-standards alignment procedures. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 37(3), 55–64.
- Camargo, S. L., Herrera, A. N., & Traynor, A. (2018). Looking for a consensus in the discussion about the concept of validity: A Delphi study. Methodology, 14(4), 146–155.
- Traynor, A. (2017). Does test item performance increase with test-to-standards alignment? Educational Assessment, 22(3), 171–188.
- Traynor, A. (2017). Sensitivity of cross-state assessment item difficulty to differences in state curricular content standards. Applied Measurement in Education, 30(4), 329–342.
- Raykov, T., & Traynor, A. (2016). Evaluation of multi-component measuring instrument reliability in complex design studies. Structural Equation Modeling, 23(2), 270–277.
- Traynor, A., & Chapman, A. (2015). Impeded attainment? The role of state exit examination-alternative route policy combinations. Teachers College Record, 117(9).
- Woodruff, D., Traynor, A., Cui, Z., & Fang, Y. (2013). A comparison of three methods for computing scale score conditional standard errors of measurement (ACT Research Report No. 2013-7). Iowa City, IA: ACT, Inc.
- EDPS 32700 — Classroom Assessment
- EDPS 53100 — Introduction to Measurement and Instrument Design
- EDPS 63200 — Analysis of Large-scale International Education Data
- EDPS 63500 — Psychometric Theory and Application
- EDPS 63600 — Item Response Theory
