All Publications
The K–12 Center at ETS offers a variety of publications, including guides, papers, policy briefs, presentation slides and more. These publications represent the best thinking and research on the range of measurement issues facing national, state and local decision makers. They can be used to aid discussions and support efforts to increase understanding among educators, policymakers and the public.
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View our publications by year below.
2015
| April 2015 |
| Slides from NCME Session Psychometric Considerations for the Next Generation of Performance Assessment (slides, PDF): Charlene Tucker, Chair (The K-12 Center at ETS), with presentations by Steve Ferrara (Pearson), Tim Davey (Educational Testing Service), Noreen M. Webb (University of California, Los Angeles) and Lauress L. Wise (Human Resources Research Organization), and comments by Ronald K. Hambleton, (University of Massachusetts Amherst). Coordinated session conducted at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago. |
| March 2015 |
| The System Architecture and Tools of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) (PDF): by Juliette Siegfried for the K–12 center at ETS. This paper provides a detailed overview of the open source system being developed by the PARCC consortium. |
| February 2015 |
| Convenient one-page summaries and illustrations of the Alternate Assessment Consortia, Dynamic Learning Maps (PDF) and the National Center and State Collaborative (PDF). |
| Key Similarities and Differences Between the Alternate Assessment Consortia (PDF). |
| Updated one-page summaries of the Comprehensive Assessment Consortia, PARCC (PDF) and Smarter Balanced (PDF). |
| Updated Key Similarities and Differences of the Comprehensive Assessment Consortia (PDF). |
| Challenges and Opportunities in Next Generation Assessment Systems: The Consortia and Beyond (PDF): Pascal Forgione, Ph.D., K–12 Center at ETS: A presentation to the Texas Statewide Network of Assessment Professionals (TSNAP). |
| January 2015 |
| Psychometric Considerations for Performance Assessment with Implications for Policy and Practice (PDF): by Charlene G. Tucker, Measurement Consultant, for the K–12 Center at ETS, based on the paper Psychometric Considerations for the Next Generation of Performance Assessment (see below). This brief summarizes the work of the distinguished panel of authors, and provides 10 recommendations for policymakers and practitioners as they seek to integrate performance assessment into state K–12 assessment systems. Psychometric Considerations for the Next Generation of Performance Assessment (PDF): By Tim Davey (Educational Testing Service), Steve Ferrara (Pearson), Paul W. Holland (Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley), Rich Shavelson, Chair (Emeritus, Stanford University), Noreen M. Webb (University of California, Los Angeles) and Lauress L. Wise (Human Resources Research Organization). As states seek to develop assessments that include measures of critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills, performance assessment becomes an area of focus and an area of challenges. This commissioned report discusses the challenges related to integration of performance assessment into K–12 educational assessment programs as well as other fields, including licensure and certification, civilian or military jobs, and performance in sports. |
| December 2014 |
| NEW Summary Report for Policymakers About English Language Proficiency Assessments (PDF). |
| November 2014 |
| NEW Key similarities and differences of the Comprehensive Assessment Consortia, PARCC and Smarter Balanced (PDF). |
| NEW Convenient one-page summaries and illustrations of the Comprehensive Assessment Consortia, PARCC (PDF) and Smarter Balanced (PDF). |
| July 2014 |
| Update on the State-Led and State-Governed Comprehensive Assessment Consortia: PARCC and Smarter Balanced (PDF): Pascal Forgione, Ph.D., K–12 Center at ETS. |
| An Evaluation of the Joint Symposium and SCASS Workshop Effectiveness in Promoting States' Progress Toward Evidence-Based Science Assessments (PDF) Prepared for the K–12 Center at ETS by WestEd. |
| June 2014 |
| Science Assessment Update for The National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) (PDF) This presentation was developed to respond to questions from the NSELA concerning guidance for states working on development of assessments aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. |
| The English-Language Proficiency Assessment Research Meeting: Summative Assessments: A collection of eight slide presentations from a research meeting that discussed critical emerging technical issues and opportunities to improve the measurement and reporting of English-language proficiency summative assessments. |
| Supporting the Achievement of English Language Learners Through Formative Assessment: A presentation by Margaret Heritage of CRESST/UCLA. |
| March 2014 |
| Coming Together to Raise Achievement: New Assessments for the Common Core State Standards March 2014 (PDF). |
| Key Similarities and Differences of the Comprehensive Assessment Consortia, PARCC and Smarter Balanced (PDF). |
| February 2014 |
| Convenient one-page summaries and illustrations of each of the six multistate assessment consortia: PARCC (PDF), Smarter Balanced (PDF), DLM (PDF), NCSC (PDF), ASSETS (PDF), ELPA21 (PDF). |
2013
| November 2013 |
| Presentation slides from 2013 State Educational Technology Directors Association Leadership Summit on Implementing Online Assessments (PDF): Nancy Doorey, K–12 Center at ETS |
| Invitational Research Symposium on Science Assessment: Measurement Challenges and Opportunities (PDF): Rodger W. Bybee for the K-12 Center at ETS. A summary report of the Invitational Research Symposium on Science Assessment, held September 24-25, 2013. |
| September 2013 |
| Assessing Next Generation Science Standards — Invitational Research Symposium Publications A collection of seven commissioned papers, 38 slide decks, and a Summary Report explore the measurement challenges and opportunities in assessing the Next Generation Science Standards. Closing panels (on video) discuss the need to ensure thoughtful statewide plans for the improvement of science teaching, learning and assessment. |
| View the complete Event archive including the agenda and videotaped panel discussions. |
| August 2013 |
| A Step Change in K–12 Testing: An At-A-Glance Guide to the Six Assessment Consortia (PDF): This 10-page guide provides one-page summaries and illustrations of each of the six federally funded multistate assessment consortia. |
| Update on PARCC and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia: A Slide Presentation (August 2013) (PDF) |
| Presentation slides from 2013 ACTS Conference, Austin, Texas, A Unique Moment in Time: Common Core State Standards and Aligned Common Assessments (PDF): Pascal D. Forgione, K–12 Center at ETS |
| June 2013 |
| "Leveraging the Systems and Applications Being Developed by the Race to the Top Assessment Consortia to Advance Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Content Areas Other Than English Language Arts and Mathematics" (PDF): Juliette Siegfried for the K–12 Center at ETS. This paper, the first in a series of papers commissioned by the K–12 Center for the September 2013 Research Symposium on Science Assessment, explains how the two Race to the Top Comprehensive Assessment Consortia will support science and other content areas beyond English language arts and mathematics by allowing stakeholders in these additional content areas to leverage their systems and tools. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium’s architecture is described. A similar description of the PARCC architecture will be provided in a future paper. |
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Coming Together to Raise Achievement: New Assessments for the Common Core State Standards, Updated June 2013 (PDF) |
| Seeing the Future: How the Common Core State Standards Will Affect Mathematics and English Language Arts in Grades 3–12 Across America (PDF) |
May 2013 Next-Generation Assessment Systems” (PDF)
Assessment Consortia” (PDF)
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| April 2013 Summary of the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) Consortium (PDF) |
| March 2013 Brief 4-page Overview of the PARCC and Smarter Balanced Assessment Systems (PDF) |
2012
2010 |
| September 2010 Trends in U.S. Achievement 1990–2010: A Data Profile (PDF) Prepared for the Business Roundtable by the Center and the ETS Research & Development division |
| March 2010 Next Generation K–12 Assessment Systems: National Conference Publications Four sets of nationally renowned educators and measurement experts presented their conceptions of a "next generation" assessment system to fuel the thinking of the Consortia. View the complete Event archive including videos of the presentations. |
| March 2010 A Fresh Start: Creating the Next Generation of Assessment Systems (PDF) This summary report of the National Conference on Next Generation Assessment Systems appeared in Education Week on April 28, 2010. |
2009 |
| December 2009 Next Generation K–12 Assessment Systems: Exploratory Seminar Publications A set of eight commissioned papers explore approaches to: a) the measurement of individual growth and b) the development of more instructionally useful assessment feedback. Policy briefs and summary paper provided. |