Case Study:
State-Centered Assessment Solutions

The State-Centered Assessment Solutions (SCAS) is a successful collaboration between Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIU) and Breakthrough Technologies (BT), which served as the original vendors for the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) from 2015-2023. The SCAS comprehensive assessment program, including everything from item specification and test development to final print and electronic reporting, was delivered annually to over 425,000 Illinois students. Dr. Brown, the original architect of the ISA, is now the overall project manager of SCAS. 

  

At SCAS, we pride ourselves on our ability to work in partnership with state assessment directors, school districts, and educators to deliver customized assessment solutions that meet the unique needs of each state. Through agile processes, SCAS can gather feedback, shape it into deliverables, and implement solutions that improve the overall assessment program. Our goal is to make large-scale assessment as seamless as possible while still delivering all necessary outcomes at the state, district, school, and individual levels.  

 

SCAS is committed to involving educators in developing and delivering their assessment programs. We provide high-quality professional learning opportunities that allow local educators to contribute to item development, human scoring, and quality assessment of technology platforms and reporting of information. As a result, assessment literacy becomes an intentional byproduct of our process, empowering educators to transfer lessons learned from state assessment development to local assessment efforts.  

 

In addition, we offer full-service solutions with technology platforms designed with end-users in mind, offering easy navigation while maintaining all necessary accessibility and accountability features. Our systems are scalable, allowing for flexibility of usage across all assessment programs. At SCAS, we have expert teams with extensive experience in large-scale assessment, item development, psychometrics, technical solutions, professional learning, test administration, and reporting.  

 

We have a proven track record of success in offering state agencies, school districts, and educators customized assessment solutions that meet their unique needs. Through agile processes, involving educators, and offering full-service solutions, we can ensure that your assessment programs are seamless, effective, and meaningful for all stakeholders.  

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Click here for more information about the SCAS.

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