Center for Assessment

Our Work The Center for Assessment engages in consulting relationships with state and district education leaders, organizations with complimentary missions, and philanthropic foundations. Center professionals possess deep expertise in educational assessment and accountability systems. Therefore, our work on educational assessment systems ranges from helping schools and districts design and implement productive classroom formative and performance assessment systems to working with states and other partners on both technical and practical issues associated with large-scale assessments. Similarly, our extensive evaluation and measurement expertise along with a thorough understanding of policy and practical contexts allows Center for Assessment professionals to help our clients design and successfully implement effective and technically-defensible accountability systems. Our unique ability to connect technical, practical, and policy knowledge allows us to help states and districts get their assessment and accountability designs “across the finish line.” This is one of the main things that separates us from other technical or policy consulting organizations. More Specifically, the Center focuses on the technical, policy, and practical issues that influence the effectiveness of educational assessment policies and programs. We flexibly support our clients in many ways including: Providing customized support to states and districts in designing, implementing, and improving fair, effective, and useful assessment and accountability programs that comply with state and federal requirements. The Center's staff provides a full range of support, including technical analyses, skilled facilitation, policy and management support, documentation and communication, and training. Coordinating and serving on Technical Advisory Committees to ensure that state and district leaders receive the best technical advice possible in support of their assessment and accountability programs. Developing and disseminating practical standards for assessment and accountability programs that include specific information about what states and districts should do today to have technically sound programs. Helping states and districts develop balanced and innovative assessments systems to support teaching and learning as well as providing data that can be used in accountability systems. Advancing best practices in the field by serving as a conduit of information to all stakeholders in educational reform through sponsorship and leadership at conferences, the initiation of studies, and collaboration with other major service providers.