Principles of effective assessment, abbreviated as RSVP, are reviewed within the context of the IDEA student ratings of instruction (SRI) system. Reliability, or consistency in scores, is high for IDEA SRI at the class and instructor levels. Internal consistency is also high for all factor subscales. Standardization of administration and scoring enables IDEA users to compare their scores with other classes in the overall research database, the respective academic discipline, and institution. Evidence for validity is found in (a) correlations between IDEA SRI and other variables, (b) multidimensional internal structure (meaning SRI measure two or more teacher qualities or constructs), (c) beneficial consequences of ratings, (d) logical item development, and (e) analysis of response processes. The practicality of IDEA SRI comes from its ease of administration and interpretation and its many helpful resources. Taken together, RSVP evidence supports using IDEA SRI as one, but not the only, source of evidence in formative, summative, and programmatic decisions that consider teaching effectiveness.

Keywords: student ratings of instruction, validity, reliability, standardization, practicality