Which of the following is a common characteristic of high-stakes quantitative assessments?

High-stakes quantitative assessments are often utilized in contexts where the results can significantly impact important decisions, such as educational testing, certification, or job selection. One of the defining characteristics of these assessments is their emphasis on reliability and validity, which is where the notion of Cronbach's alpha— a statistic used to measure internal consistency— becomes relevant.

A Cronbach's alpha of 0.9 or higher indicates a very high level of reliability, suggesting that the items in the assessment measure the same underlying construct consistently. This level of reliability is especially crucial in high-stakes settings, where the implications of the test results can lead to substantial outcomes for individuals, such as school ranking, job placement, or licensure.

Other options do not align with the characteristics of high-stakes quantitative assessments. High-stakes assessments typically do not focus on individual case studies, as they tend to gather data across larger populations to inform broader conclusions. While qualitative measures can provide valuable insights, high-stakes quantitative assessments predominantly rely on quantitative data. Lastly, these assessments usually involve extensive data collection to ensure that the results are robust and reliable, making minimal data collection inconsistent with their nature.