Assessment Development & Item Writing Services

Our Assessment program has over thirty years of experience in developing statewide objective- and performance-based assessments for educational programs related to a wide array of careers. We have served as the main developers of assessments of competency attainment for the Ohio Department of Education’s Career-Technical Education programs for several decades. We also have created assessments for both large and small clients that need performance assessments for personnel selection and credentialing. The assessments that our center develops are written, revised, and validated by subject matter experts, and facilitated by staff with extensive training in assessment development.

Using a streamlined item writing process, we are able to generate item banks in one- to two- day workshops. During workshops, CETE’s highly trained and knowledgeable facilitators work with subject matter experts to craft items that follow best practices and common standards for high stakes assessments. Our tried and true workshop management techniques guide facilitators towards efficiently writing items that are fair and adequately measure skill sets, and use systemic quality assurance checks to refine and drop problematic tests items. Using task analyses, our assessment professionals can also create performance assessment checklists that serve as a standardized way of grading portfolios and other performance-based tests.

Once item banks are created, our extensive range of assessment consultation services can provide further guidance on processes such as tracking assessment validity and reliability, as well as establishing cut scores. We also offer an online testing platform called WebXam™, which includes features such as immediate user feedback, adjustable scoring, and customizable score reports, and a range of test administration features.

Project Contact Dr. Bridget McHugh