The best assessments are grounded in a deep understanding of how relevant concepts and skills develop over time. For example, if a curriculum is intended to develop decision-making skills, assessments should evaluate developmental progress in acquiring those skills. To do this well, it is essential to meet 3 objectives:
We have designed an iterative methodology that is employed to build the knowledge base required to meet these objectives. We call this methodology developmental maieutics. It involves several steps:
With adequate funding, a fully developed set (2-4 alternate forms of the same assessment) of Lectical Assessments (a.k.a. DiscoTests), complete with curricular materials, learning resources, and reports, can be developed in about 2 years. During the development phase, new assessments are made available to the public free of charge, through the CLAS demo.
To learn more about skill levels, see the hierarchical complexity and skill level pages.
IES (US Department of Education)
The Spencer Foundation
NIH
Dr. Sharon Solloway
The Simpson Foundation
The Leopold Foundation
Glastonbury School District, CT
The Ross School
Rainbow Community School
The Study School
Long Trail School
The US Naval Academy
The City of Edmonton, Alberta
The US Federal Government
Antonio Battro, MD, Ph.D., One Laptop Per Child
Marc Schwartz, Ph.D. and former high school teacher, University of Texas at Arlington
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Ed.D., University of Southern California
Willis Overton, Ph.D., Temple University, Emeritus