Face Validity

Face validity, in psychological measurement, refers to whether or not the test seems to measure what it purports to measure. In this way, face validity is more logical than statistical and rigorous, but it has relevance because it is intuitive to even the casual observer. Simply put, a test is said to have high face validity if it seems, on its face, to measure the phenomenon in question.Heads of school sometimes forget that face validity applies to the assessments they give their boards about schools. Board members, especially those who are parents in day schools, have "skin in the game" in terms of students who experience the school every day. A head's assessment of, say, the middle school or the athletic program, that is out of sync with what parent trustees observe in action can be said to lack face validity.Statements by a head of school can lack face validity for several reasons. Sometimes, heads feel a need to defend their programs and people, as if agreeing that something is wrong is tantamount to throwing their personnel under the proverbial bus. Sometimes board members lack the nuanced understanding of the field necessary to know why a teacher is outstanding, even though she may not be that member's child's favorite. And sometimes heads fear that admitting things are less than perfect will provoke doubts in their bosses about their leadership.We think heads need to develop a greater sensitivity to the concept of face validity, for regardless of which explanation applies, the head loses credibility and political capital in the conversation. When something isn't working, best that the head say so first, before the board feels compelled to point out the obvious. By then the damage has been done.