COMPARE AND CONTRAST: Pop quiz: How many multi-state consortia are developing online assessments? Yeah, you probably guessed PARCC and Smarter Balanced. But there are at least four others--and keeping up with all their latest tech requirements can be a headache. There's good news, though: SETDA just released The Guide to Technology Requirements, an interactive resource for keeping up on the latest tech requirements for six multi-state assessment consortia, which include:
- The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)
- The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced)
- Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners (WIDA).
- English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21);
- Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Alternate Assessment Consortia Assessment System;
- National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) assessment.
Upon choosing their state to see the consortia to which their states belong, visitors will see a list of the minimum and recommended tech requirements for the related assessments. The website also includes tips for getting students, educators, and school systems prepared for online testing, along with resources from sponsors like AT&T and Google.
In a press release, Phil Olsen (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and Project Lead for the WIDA consortium) says: "This site will be an invaluable resource, particularly for educators who support English language learners and students with significant cognitive disabilities."
