Assessment

Tennessee ED Selects Partner for State Assessment Program

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 07/07/16

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has selected a partner to develop, administer, score and provide reports for the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP).

Tests included in TCAP include:

• Summative assessments for grades 3-8 in English language arts and mathematics;
• End-of-course assessments in English Language Arts I, II and III;
• End-of-course assessments for Algebra I and II;
• End-of-course assessments for Geometry; and
• End-of-course assessments for Integrated Mathematics I, II and III.

In addition to the TCAP assessments, TDOE's new partner, Questar, will be the primary contractor for the optional Grade 2 State Summative Assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

TDOE chose Questar in part for its commitment to pencil and paper assessments and hand scoring, along with online and automatic scoring options.

"Questar Assessment is one of only a few educational assessment companies that remain committed to paper/pencil test administration, with a team that is highly experienced in the design of all of the necessary written materials, in both standard and accommodated (braille, large-print) forms," according to a news release. "Questar retains a rare ability, in an increasingly online world, to produce paper/pencil assessments and to process those assessments with both highly accurate machine scoring and meticulous, high-touch hand-scoring."

Other considerations in choosing Questar included the company's ability to provide custom reporting and its experience in developing and delivering alternative assessments in multiple formats for 10 states across 15 years.

"In April, the Grade 2 State Summative Assessments and the TCAP/Alternate Assessment offered Questar its first opportunity to partner with the State of Tennessee," said Jamie Post Candee, president and CEO of Questar Assessment, in a prepared statement. "We are truly honored that the TDOE has now entrusted us with its 3–8 State Summative and end-of-course assessment programs, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership."