Abstract
For the purposes of measurement such as aggregation, improvement, diagnosis, assessment, evaluation, reporting, and research; constructs must be measured and not just observed, counted, or collected. Valid and reliable measurement includes a defined construct, a choice of appropriate models, creation of instruments, and meaningful results. In this case, we briefly review our model of measuring dispositions using the DAATS model. Next, we provide a few examples of results that can be obtained by measures that cannot be realized with poorer quality assessments. In this paper, we organize attempts to measure dispositions, discuss research-based advice for construct development, and suggest likely solutions to effective description of the disposition construct for scientific uses. We make use of the established descriptors of dispositions in the teacher education field from INTASC as the core of our construct definition. The methodology, both the instrument types and the DAATS steps for developing them, is one that can be used at any institution serious about measuring dispositions. The measures themselves do not replace faculty judgment, grades, or other academic requirements, but add an important component to improving advisement and decisions.