Mission statement

A curve for every child!

Lectica's nonprofit mission is to support robust learning by developing and delivering learning tools that support optimal mental development.

Our aims are threefold: (1) to provide free high-quality, evidence-based learning tools to individual K-12 educators, (2) to advance this work by offering related research and assessment services to clients in the private and public sectors, and (3) to build knowledge about learning and its role in the future of society.

Lectica employs a research methodology called developmental maieutics, which is grounded in over 100 years of cognitive-developmental theory and research—most recently, Harvard professor Kurt Fischer's Dynamic Skill Theory. The methods of developmental maieutics are employed to document how people learn specific concepts and skills over time. The results informed the design of a new form of standardized assessment—the Lectical Assessment—that both evaluates and supports learning. Unlike conventional standardized assessments, which primarily compare and classify learners, Lectical Assessments help educators determine what individual students are most likely to benefit from learning next.

When we incorporated Lectica, Our K-12 initiative  was called the DiscoTest^®. Initiative. At the time, we were focused on the design and delivery of high-quality formative assessments covering a wide range of concepts and topics. Each DiscoTest was calibrated to the dynamic skill scale (Lectical^® Scale)—a universal developmental "ruler," making it possible to track student learning over time in multiple subject areas. Cumulative results would provide a record of the learning of individual students and provide a reliable and standardized longitudinal record of the performance of schools and districts (the DiscoTest report card). 

The goal to create multiple content-focused assessments came into question in the years following 2016, when Lectica introduced the world's first electronic developmental assessment system, CLAS, as part of a free demonstration of the LRJA (our reflective judgment assessment).

As CLAS matured, we gradually came to realize that there would be no need to create individual assessments. This is because, by 2024, CLAS was able to score texts in just about any subject area. Today our K-12 initiative is focused on MindLog™, a journal-like learning tool that helps optimize student and teacher learning while providing each student with a developmental curve.

Our mission today is to provide every child in the world with a MindLog subscription. Our campaign slogan is “A curve for every child!” 

Lectica's initial funding came from Dr. Theo L. Dawson, who, in 2004, established Lectica's predecessor, the original Developmental Testing Service, LLC. From 2004 through 2009, she and her colleagues developed the infrastructure and initial assessments for Lectica, including the first DiscoTests. We are currently supported by income from our for-profit, DTS, research partnerships, public and private sector contracts, and donations.

Lectica, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit registered in the state of Massachusetts.

All donations along with all net income from for-profit use of Lectica's products, programs, and services are used to fund our nonprofit mission. These funds make it possible to provide the free resources that are available through our website and Dr. Dawson's blog.

To see a breakdown of Lectica's annual budget, please review Lectica's annual report on file with the state of Massachusetts by searching for AG Account Number: 051311 from the Massachusetts Non-Profits & Charities Document Search page.