Bio


Maria Araceli Ruiz-Primo is an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Education, Stanford University. Her work, funded mainly by the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences, examines assessment practices and the assessment of student learning both in the classroom and in large-scale assessment programs. Her publications address the development and evaluation of multiple learning assessment strategies, including concept maps and students’ science notebooks, and the study of teachers’ informal and formal formative assessment practices, such as the use of assessment conversations and embedded assessments. She also has conducted research on the development and evaluation of assessments that are instructionally sensitive and instruments intended to measure teachers’ formative assessment practices. Recently she has worked on the analysis of state testing programs. She was co-editor of a special issue on assessment in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and a special issue on classroom assessment in the Journal of Educational Measurement. She has published in Science, Educational Measurement: Issues and Practices, the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, and other major technical educational research journals.

Academic Appointments


Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • Committee Member, IDEAL Provostial Fellows Selection Committee (2022 - Present)
  • Committee Member, DARE Selection Advisory Committee (2023 - Present)

Research Interests


  • Achievement
  • Assessment, Testing and Measurement
  • Psychology
  • Research Methods
  • Teachers and Teaching

Stanford Advisees


  • Doctoral Dissertation Reader (AC)
    Jesse Ramirez
  • Doctoral Dissertation Advisor (AC)
    Philip Hernandez, Radhika Kapoor
  • Master's Program Advisor
    Rachel Loe, Timothy Morris
  • Doctoral (Program)
    Radhika Kapoor, Eunjung Myoung

All Publications


  • Introduction to the Special Issue on Classroom Assessment (vol 56, pg 667, 2019) JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT Wilson, M., Ruiz-Primo, M., Paek, P. 2020

    View details for DOI 10.1111/jedm.12269

    View details for Web of Science ID 000522504100001

  • Introduction to the Special Issue on Classroom Assessment JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT Wilson, M., Ruiz-Primo, M., Paek, P. 2019; 56 (4): 667–69

    View details for DOI 10.1111/jedm.12231

    View details for Web of Science ID 000562561200001

  • Exploring the Utility of Sequential Analysis in Studying Informal Formative Assessment Practices EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT-ISSUES AND PRACTICE Furtak, E. M., Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Bakeman, R. 2017; 36 (1): 28-38

    View details for DOI 10.1111/emip.12143

    View details for Web of Science ID 000398599000004

  • Curriculum Mapping as a Strategy for Supporting Teachers in the Articulation of Learning Goals JOURNAL OF SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION Giamellaro, M., Lan, M., Ruiz-Primo, M., Li, M., Tasker, T. 2017; 28 (4): 347–66
  • The Effect of Sequential Cues of Item Contexts in Science Assessment INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TESTING Wang, T., Li, M., Thummaphan, P., Ruiz-Primo, M. 2017; 17 (4): 322–50
  • From Formal Embedded Assessments to Reflective Lessons: The Development of Formative Assessment Studies APPLIED MEASUREMENT IN EDUCATION Ayala, C. C., Shavelson, R. J., Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Brandon, P. R., Yin, Y., Furtak, E. M., Young, D. B. 2008; 21 (4): 315-334
  • On the Impact of Formative Assessment on Student Motivation, Achievement, and Conceptual Change APPLIED MEASUREMENT IN EDUCATION Yin, Y., Shavelson, R. J., Ayala, C. C., Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Brandon, P. R., Furtak, E. M., Tomita, M. K., Young, D. B. 2008; 21 (4): 335-359
  • On the Fidelity of Implementing Embedded Formative Assessments and Its Relation to Student Learning APPLIED MEASUREMENT IN EDUCATION Furtak, E. M., Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Shemwell, J. T., Ayala, C. C., Brandon, P. R., Shavelson, R. J., Yin, Y. 2008; 21 (4): 360-389
  • On the Impact of Curriculum-Embedded Formative Assessment on Learning: A Collaboration between Curriculum and Assessment Developers APPLIED MEASUREMENT IN EDUCATION Shavelson, R. J., Young, D. B., Ayala, C. C., Brandon, P. R., Furtak, E. M., Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Tomita, M. K., Yin, Y. 2008; 21 (4): 295-314
  • Exploring teachers' informal formative assessment practices and students' understanding in the context of scientific inquiry JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Furtak, E. M. 2007; 44 (1): 57-84

    View details for DOI 10.1002/tea.20163

    View details for Web of Science ID 000243180800003

  • Windows into the mind HIGHER EDUCATION Shavelson, R. J., Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Wiley, E. W. 2005; 49 (4): 413-430
  • Comparison of two concept-mapping techniques: Implications for scoring, interpretation, and use JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING Yin, Y., Vanides, J., Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Ayala, C. C., SHAVELSON, R. J. 2005; 42 (2): 166-184

    View details for DOI 10.1002/tea.20049

    View details for Web of Science ID 000227024700002

  • Evaluating students' science notebooks as an assessment tool INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Li, M., Ayala, C., Shavelson, R. J. 2004; 26 (12): 1477-1506
  • On the evaluation of systemic science education reform: Searching for instructional sensitivity JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING Ruiz-Primo, M. A., SHAVELSON, R. J., Hamilton, L., Klein, S. 2002; 39 (5): 369-393

    View details for DOI 10.1002/tea.10027

    View details for Web of Science ID 000175090400001

  • Comparison of the reliability and validity of scores from two concept-mapping techniques JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Schultz, S. E., Li, M., SHAVELSON, R. J. 2001; 38 (2): 260-278
  • Note on sources of sampling variability in science performance assessments JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT Shavelson, R. J., Ruiz-Primo, M. A., Wiley, E. W. 1999; 36 (1): 61-71
  • Toward a science performance assessment technology 7th EARLI Conference SHAVELSON, R. J., Solano-Flores, G., Ruiz-Primo, M. A. PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. 1998: 171–84
  • Rhetoric and reality in science performance assessments: An update JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING RUIZPRIMO, M. A., SHAVELSON, R. J. 1996; 33 (10): 1045-1063
  • Problems and issues in the use of concept maps in science assessment JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING RUIZPRIMO, M. A., SHAVELSON, R. J. 1996; 33 (6): 569-600