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State Assessment

About State Assessments

NYSED Test Development Process

All NYS exams are developed in accordance with national industry and professional standards for educational testing. The exams are carefully constructed to align with and assess the knowledge and skills set forth in the NYS learning standards.

State exams are used to measure the extent to which individual students achieve the NYS learning standards in particular subjects and to determine whether schools, districts and the State meet the required progress targets specified in the NYS accountability system and in Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

1. Review/develop syllabi/standards
2. Design test specifications
3. Develop test items
  1. Solicit item writers
  2. Instruct item writers
  3. Write items
  4. Edit items
  5. Create art for test items
6. Administer field tests (schools). Ship back to SED
7. Scan and score multiple choice FT items
8. Read and score performance items
  1. Select rangefinders
  2. Instruct rangefinders
  3. Conduct rangefinding
  4. Score field test
9. Conduct test item analysis
  1. Calculate field test statistics
  2. Estimate reliability/generalizability
  3. Describe performance
10. Develop test sampler (new test)
  1. Develop and publish test sampler for any new test
11. Select and prepare operational test
  1. Select test form based on field test statistics and test specifications
  2. Review and edit operational test
  3. Conduct Final Eyes Review of test (Committee of content experts)
  4. Determine cut scores and develop conversion chart for Senior Management approval
  5. Prepare and review scoring key and rating guide
  6. Develop large type, Braille, and translations
  7. Conduct final output
12. Printing, distribution, administration, and scoring of operational test
  1. Print test
  2. Pack and ship tests to schools. Tests administered to students
  3. Post scoring key, rating guide, and conversion chart online at the appropriate time
  4. Score test
  5. Answer questions from teachers during scoring process
15. Develop new items (Continuous cycle starting with Step 3)