Instruments
Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (ACES)
The Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (ACES) are questionnaires evaluating social, behavioral, and academic skills related to learning in school. Specifically, ACES measures academic skills in reading, language, mathematics, and critical thinking as well as academic enablers such as motivation, interpersonal skills, engagement, and study skills.
ACES has three versions: ACES-Teacher Form (ACES-TF), ACES-Student Form (ACES-SF), and ACES-College Form (ACES-CF). ACES-TF is for grades K-12 and consists of 73 items using a 5-point Likert scale. ACES-SF is for grades 6-12 and consists of 68 items. The ACES-CF is for students enrolled in colleges or technical schools and consists of 66 items.
As of 2022, ACES-2 is in the process of development and validation, see more details here.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: English Language Arts, Math
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Accuplacer
Accuplacer is College Board’s suite of online tests in reading, writing, and math used for placing college students in coursework that is appropriate for their preparation level. In 2016, Accuplacer was redesigned to align with the content assessed by the SAT exams as well as with the skills important for college readiness.
The Accuplacer suite includes:
1. The Reading test focusing on four domains: information and ideas, rhetoric, synthesis, and vocabulary;
2. The Writing test focusing on two domains: expression of ideas and standard English conventions;
3. The Math test that is aligned with state college and career readiness standards;
4. The WritePlacer and WitePlacer ESL tests evaluating students’ essay writing;
5. The Accuplacer ESL test that helps place ESL and EFL students in appropriate language courses.
All Accuplacer tests except for the WritePlacer are multiple choice.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
ACT Engage
ACT’s Engage assessments measure motivational, skill, social engagement, and self-regulatory constructs related to academic performance in college.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
aimswebPlus Math
The aimswebPlus math assessments are sold by Pearson. These online assessments include curriculum-based measures (CBM) and a standards-based assessment designed for screening, progress monitoring, and evaluation of intervention.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
aimswebPlus Reading
The aimswebPlus reading subtests screen and monitor the reading skills of PreK–12 students. aimswebPlus also has add-on screeners for behavior and dyslexia.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: English Language Arts
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Assessment of Equity in Beliefs and Practices of Teaching Mathematics to African American Students
This assessment is designed to assess the mindsets of mathematics teachers at the middle and high school levels in teaching mathematics to African American students. The purpose of the survey is to provide an indication of (a) teachers’ mindsets that may be productive or unproductive in supporting the mathematical learning of African American students; (b) teachers’ awareness of and attribution for success and challenges in African American students’ learning of mathematics; and (c) teachers’ feelings of self-efficacy and/or support in enacting equitable instruction.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
CampusReady
CampusReady is an instrument that examines schools’ strengths and weaknesses in preparing students for college. Originally known as the CollegeCareerReady School Diagnostic when it was first introduced in 2009, CampusReady utilizes David Conley’s Four Keys to College and Career Readiness, which comprise cognitive strategies, content knowledge, academic behaviors, and contextual skills and awareness. CampusReady target respondents are students in grades 6-12, teachers, counselors, and administrators.
CampusReady generates four comprehensive reports: the Participant Information Report, which gathers data on participants; the Aspirations Report, which focuses on students’ future plans; the Four Keys to College and Career Readiness Report, which evaluates college readiness across the four dimensions of David Conley’s model; and the Targeted Recommendations Report, which provides customized recommendations for the school or district that utilized CampusReady. These reports serve as valuable resources for schools and districts seeking to improve their college readiness strategies by fostering students’ knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Additionally, schools gain access to a database of effective interventions targeting college readiness.
Year developed: 2013 in its current version, 2009 as CollegeCareerReady School Diagnostic.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Career and College Readiness Self-Efficacy Inventory (CCRSI)
Initially intended to assess the impact of a career planning program at a gifted and talented baccalaureate magnet high school in a Southeastern city, the College and Career Readiness Self-Efficacy Inventory (CCRSI) is a tool that measures an individual's belief in their ability to enter a career pathway and be successful in higher education settings. The CCRSI contains 14 statements that ask about one's confidence in performing behaviors that are important for college and career readiness, covering four main factors: College Knowledge, Positive Personal Characteristics, Academic Competence, and Potential to Achieve Future Goals. The scale uses a Likert scale ranging from “5: strongly agree” to “1: strongly disagree,” and the CCRSI’s overall score ranges from 14 (low) to 70 (high).
Year developed: 2012.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
CIRP Freshman Survey (TFS)
Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) developed the Freshman Survey for collecting data on incoming college freshmen. The CIRP Freshman Survey focuses on the following domains: established behaviors in high school, academic preparedness, admissions decisions, expectations of college, interactions with peers and faculty, student values and goals, student demographic characteristics, and concerns about financing college.
Year developed: 1966.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)
The Classroom Assessment Scoring System™ (CLASS™) is an observational instrument developed to assess instructional quality in PK-12 classrooms. It is a tool for analyzing the quality of teacher-student interactions in the classroom by capturing multiple dimensions of teaching that are linked to student achievement and development. It produces qualitative ratings of teacher performance on a scale from 1-7 across three broad domains: emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES)
The College Academic Self-Efficacy Scales (CASES) measures college students’ self-reported academic self-efficacy. CASES asks respondents to rate their confidence in various college activities such as note-taking, asking questions, writing, and class attendance. CASES has 33 items using a 5-points Likert scale ranging from 0 “very little confidence” to 4 “quite a lot of confidence”.
Year developed: 1988.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
College Readiness Assessment
The College Readiness Assessment (CRA) is a learning progression-based measure of the trajectory of students’ abilities to connect representations of mathematical functions in grades 6-12. As a formative assessment building on cognitive research in mathematics learning, the CRA aims to help students transition smoothly from middle school to college-level math coursework. In contrast to other college readiness tests, which focus on quantitatively scoring the correctness of students’ answers, the CRA uses multi-level items to measure students’ mathematical proficiency from a cognitive perspective. CRA’s six levels of progression intend to show how students’ mathematical understanding and thinking developed rather than how correctly students answered the questions. CRA’s applicability to socioculturally diverse contexts has not been studied extensively.
Year developed: 2011.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
College Readiness for Global Campus Survey
The College Readiness for Global Campus Survey was developed by Lee et al. (2019) to explore the college readiness of US and international undergraduate students. College readiness measures of the College Readiness for Global Campus Survey focus on two domains: academic readiness and sociocultural readiness. The academic readiness domain includes academic competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, computing skills, note-taking, presentation and test-taking skills, reading, writing, and mastery in subject areas. The sociocultural readiness domain includes 11 sociocultural competencies: collaboration and teamwork, commitment to learning, understanding college and career paths, responsibility, academic integrity, communication, creativity, independence, help-seeking, balancing multiple demands, and multicultural competence. The survey uses Likert-type questions ranging from 1 “none” to 5 “excellent”.
Year developed: 2019.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
College Readiness Scale (CRS)
The College Readiness Scale (CRS) was designed to measure college readiness for teenagers with ADHD. It is a self-report measure focusing on behaviors related to college readiness (Maitland & Quinn, 2011). The 43-item scale has three subscales:
- Self-determination, including self-knowledge, communication skills, and self-management (15 items).
- Daily living skills, including self-care, organization, and time management (13 items).
- Academic skills, including self-knowledge, study skills, and time management for academic tasks (15 items).
The Likert-scale items range from 0 “never/not at all” to 4 “very often/very true.” The internal reliability of the CRS is .95.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
College Survival and Success Scale
The College Survival and Success Scale (CSSC) measures noncognitive college readiness. First designed in 2006 and in the 2nd edition since 2011, the subscales that CSSC assesses include:
- Commitment to education.
- Self- and resource-management skills.
- Interpersonal and social skills.
- Academic success skills.
- Career planning skills.
Items are Likert-type, with response options ranging from “a lot like me” to “not like me.”
Year developed: 2006 (2nd edition since 2011).
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Second Edition (CTOPP-2)
The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing Second Edition (CTOPP-2) is an assessment that focuses on measuring the phonological processing abilities of students grades PreK-12. The CTOPP-2 contains several composites: phonological awareness, phonological memory, rapid symbolic naming, rapid non-symbolic naming, and alternate phonological awareness.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: English Language Arts
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Culturally Responsive Teaching Survey (CRTS)
The Culturally Responsive Teaching Survey measures instructional practices associated with culturally responsive teaching, including conveying respect and connectedness, building on students' personal experiences, and encouraging confidence as learners.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Post secondary
Framework for Teaching (FfT)
Framework for Teaching is a classroom observation instrument that can be used for measuring and evaluating the instructional quality of all teachers (from pre-service to experienced) across K-12. The measure can be flexibly used by classroom teachers for professional learning, school leaders for evaluation, researchers for measurement, and system leaders as a common language for organizing the profession.
It should be noted that the majority of research on the Framework for Teaching focused on general education teachers. Studies exploring FfT with special education teachers (see “Psychometric references” below) suggest that they tend to be rated low on FfT’s instruction domain and that FfT does not reflect core practices known to support students with disabilities.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, 4th Edition (GMRT-4)
GMRT-4 measures overall reading achievement spanning each important stage along the reading continuum—from oral language to mature reading comprehension. The underlying foundation of GMRT is that it is useful for teachers and schools to know the general level of reading achievement of individual students throughout their entire school careers.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: English Language Arts
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Gray Oral Reading Test | Fifth Edition (GORT-5)
The GORT-5 is an individually administered assessment of oral reading sold by Pearson.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: English Language Arts
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
HMH Math Inventory
The HMH Math Inventory is an assessment that can be used for universal screening and growth monitoring. The adaptive, computer-based test can be taken three to five times per year. The HMH Math Inventory was developed with guidance from the National Math Panel, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and was developed to align with the Common Core State Standards.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
HMH Reading Inventory
The HMH Reading Inventory, an adaptive test of reading comprehension developed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), consists of two subtests: the Foundational Reading Assessment and the Reading Comprehension Assessment.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: English Language Arts
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA)
The Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) is a classroom observation instrument that rates the nature and quality of classroom instruction by considering students’ opportunities to engage in cognitively demanding mathematical work and discussions. The IQA uses the following elements to assess instruction: potential of the task, task implementation, rigor of the discussion, teacher’s questions, and accountable talk.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) Civics Assessment
The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) is the only international, large-scale study of civic and citizenship education.ICCS investigates the ways in which young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a world where contexts of democracy and civic participation continue to change. ICCS reports on students’ knowledge and understanding of concepts and issues related to civics and citizenship, as well as their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors with respect to this domain. For country enrollment, those interested are directed to contact IEA Amsterdam Director Dr. Andrea Netten.
ICCS 2022 participants include: Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein as benchmarking entities), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Civics
Grades: 8th Grade, 9th Grade
Iowa Assessments - ELA
The Iowa Assessments replaced the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) in 2011-2012 to align with the Iowa Common Core Standards. The assessment can be administered to students in grades K-12 and can be used for monitoring student growth, making relative comparisons, predicting future performance, and identifying students who may need intervention. The Iowa Assessments measure students' abilities in reading, language, mathematics, social studies, and science.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: English Language Arts
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Iowa Assessments - Math
Iowa Assessments, Forms E and F from Iowa Testing Programs at the University of Iowa measure student achievement and growth as defined by the Iowa Core. The tests are sold outside of Iowa by Riverside Insights.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, 3rd Edition (KTEA-3) - Math
The KTEA-3 is an individually adminstered battery sold by Pearson. Within the battery is an assessment developed to be aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards and also mapped to the Common Core State Standards.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
KeyMath-3 Diagnostic Assessment
The KeyMath-3 DA is an individually administered measure of key math concepts and skills. It was developed to be aligned with the National Council of Teacher of Mathematics Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and Focal Points.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) 3rd edition
The Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) measures college students’ learning and study strategies. It can be used for screening to identify students at risk of poor academic achievement and for diagnostics to examine strengths and weaknesses and provide focused remediation.
Now in its third edition, LASSI includes 60 items mapping onto ten scales (Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient in parentheses for every scale): Anxiety (.87), Attitude (.76), Concentration (.85), Information Processing (.81), Motivation (.77), Selecting Main Ideas (.86), Self Testing (.80), Test Strategies (.77), Time Management (.80), and Using Academic Resources (.76).
Year developed: LASSI 1st edition: 1987, LASSI 2nd edition: 2002; LASSI 3rd edition: 2016
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
Maslach Burnout Inventory: Educators Survey (MBI-ES)
The Maslach Burnout Inventory: Educators Survey (MBI-ES) is a version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory measuring professional burnout among educators (teachers, staff, and volunteers). It contains 22 items examining emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from “never” to “every day.”
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI)
The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) is a domain-specific modification of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI). The MTEBI measures pre-service teachers’ beliefs regarding mathematical instruction, students' ability to learn mathematics and teachers’ sense of efficacy in teaching mathematics.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Matthews & Lopez 2019
Subscales within the article are: Critical Awareness, Heritage Language Expectations, Cultural Content Integration. The authors reported that honoring students’ heritage language (i.e., Spanish) is the mediating element through which cultural content integration predicts mathematics achievement for Latino children.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Multicultural Efficacy Scale (MES)
The Multicultural Efficacy Scale (MES) measures teachers' multicultural efficacy and the multicultural teacher education dimensions of intercultural experiences, minority group knowledge, attitudes about diversity, and knowledge of teaching skills in multicultural settings.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Multicultural Staff Development Teacher Survey
The Multicultural Staff Development Teacher Survey analyzes the teachers' perceptions of multicultural education's benefits to their students and who and what is necessary for the students to receive those perceived benefits; the teachers' interest and motivation for attending a multicultural education workshop given a particular format; and the self-perceived awareness of the basic elements surrounding multicultural education.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Multicultural Teaching Competency Scale (MTCS)
The Multicultural Teaching Competency Scale (MTCS) captures three dimensions of multicultural teaching competency: awareness, knowledge, and skills. Multicultural teaching awareness is defined as three dynamic and continuous processes reflecting teachers’ awareness of (a) self and others as cultural beings, (b) their attitudes and biases, and (c) the need to create culturally sensitive learning environments for all students. Multicultural teaching knowledge captures teachers’ knowledge of culturally responsive pedagogy and instructional strategies related to diverse populations, major sociohistorical and current sociopolitical realities, and cultural dynamics (e.g., ethnic identity, gender socialization, etc.) that may affect between- and within-group differences. Multicultural teaching skills are defined as teachers’ ability to (a) actively select, develop, implement, and evaluate strategies that facilitate the academic achievement and personal development of all students; (b) select and implement culturally sensitive behavioral management strategies and interventions; and (c) participate in ongoing review and evaluation of school policies, procedures, and practices with regard to cultural responsiveness.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS)
Developed by Hung et al. (2010) and validated on a sample of Taiwanese college students, the Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) explores five dimensions of readiness to study online: self-directed learning, learner control, motivation for learning, computer/Internet self-efficacy, and online communication self-efficacy.
Year developed: 2010.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) - Math
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, mathematics assessments are assessments based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The PARCC mathematics assessments include a variety of tasks that measure students' learning of the mathematical content and practice standards for their grade level or course of study. As of 2020, 2 states, Washington D.C., the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education were using PARCC.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Perceptions, Expectations, Emotions, and Knowledge about College (PEEK)
Perceptions, Expectations, Emotions, and Knowledge about College (PEEK) is a diagnostic instrument focused on student ideas, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations of college. PEEK’s 30 items use a 5-point rating scale (from “not at all likely” to “extremely likely”) to assess students’ academic, personal, and social expectations. Such measurement could potentially assist students in forming more precise perceptions of their college surroundings and potentially prevent disengagement and dropout from college.
Year developed: 1995.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 12th Grade, Post secondary
Postsecondary education-going access aspirations (PEG-AA) scale
The postsecondary education-going access aspirations (PEG-AA) scale proposed by Martinez et al. (2017) focuses on students’ ability to sustain hopes and dreams for the future despite real or perceived barriers. PEG-AA has 14 Likert-type questions (from 1 “not important” to 3 “very important”) on college aspirations, resilience, and expectations. In a sample of 163 students, PEG-AA’s alpha reliability coefficient was .69 (Martinez et al., 2017).
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Postsecondary education-going knowledge (PEG-K) scale
The postsecondary education-going knowledge (PEG-K) scale developed by Martinez et al. (2017) focuses on the knowledge of various requirements for applying and enrolling in college. PEG-K has 46 true-false questions on three domains: access, preparedness/readiness, and affordability. In a sample of 163 students, PEG-K’s alpha reliability coefficient was .93 (Martinez et al., 2017).
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Preservice Teacher Feedback Survey
The Preservice Teacher Feedback Survey measures beliefs about classroom feedback practices and confidence in giving feedback to students. The measure is designed for use by preservice teachers to assess the extent to which their beliefs and confidence in giving feedback align with research on quality feedback. The measure has been used as a pre- and post-test to assess the effects of initial teacher education courses on assessment.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
PSAT 8/9
The PSAT 8/9 is a standardized test from the CollegeBoard for 8th and 9th graders. The math section emphasizes problem solving, modeling, using tools strategically, and using algebraic structure. A total of 38 questions, the math section is divided into a calculator and no-calculator sections.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: 8th Grade, 9th Grade
ReadBasix
ReadBasix is a web-administered reading assessment for students in grades 3–12. ReadBasix measures foundational reading skills including word recognition & decoding, vocabulary, sentence processing, reading efficiency, and other skills involved in reading comprehension via separate subtests. The assessment has multiple forms and is vertically scaled, allowing it to be used for progress monitoring, measuring student growth, or detecting changes in reading as a result of intervention.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: English Language Arts
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Readiness and Expectations Questionnaire (REQ)
The Readiness and Expectations Questionnaire (REQ) is a researcher-designed instrument for measuring first-year postsecondary students’ expectations and preparedness for studying in college (Jansen et al., 2013; Jansen & van der Meer, 2007).
In the domain of student expectations, the REQ focuses on the expectations to be inducted by teachers, be involved in research or be told about research activities, that university will be similar to high school, and that they need time-management skills.
In the college readiness domain, the REQ measures students’ perceived readiness in information processing, collaborative learning, time management, and writing.
Year developed: 2006.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary
Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP)
The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) is an observational instrument that can be used to assess the degree to which mathematics or science instruction in grades K-12 is “reformed”. Trained observers rate teachers' instruction across three domains: Lesson Design and Implementation; Content; Classroom Culture. Possible scores range from 0 to 100 points, with higher scores reflecting a greater degree of use of reform-based instructional practices.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, Post secondary
Science Discourse Instrument
The Science Discourse Instrument (SDI) is an observation tool and rubric used to evaluate the quality of discussions in science classrooms. There are six categories for observation in the SDI, which are considered essential to strong discourse in science classrooms, three of the categories focus on teachers and three focus on students. The categories for teachers are: asking open ended questions; pressing for explanation; and linking discussions. The categories for students are: explanation of ideas; co-constructing ideas with peers; and critiquing the reasoning of others.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI)
The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) can be used to measure science teachers’ self-efficacy and outcome expectancy across all levels of teaching. The STEBI-A is the version recommended for use with in-service teachers; the STEBI-B is the version recommended for use with pre-service teachers.
Category: Schooling
Sub-Category: Teaching
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Smarter Balanced - Mathematics
The Smarter Balanced mathematics assessments test student knowledge and skills in mathematics that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Smarter Balanced tests are commonly used across the U.S. in statewide assessment systems.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Star Math
Star Math is a computer-adaptive test designed for progress monitoring.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: Math
Grades: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
Student Athlete Pre-Screening Questionnaire (SA-PSQ)
The Student Athlete Pre-Screening Questionnaire (SA-PSQ) is a tool for evaluating the college readiness of student athletes. It is derived from the CollegeCareerReady™ School Diagnostic, which assesses four key areas of college readiness, including cognitive strategies, content knowledge, learning skills and techniques, and transition knowledge and skills. The SA-PSQ measure is predictive of college GPA and probation status, and it has also been shown to account for a distinct variation in college readiness knowledge and skills beyond typical demographic factors and academic preparation variables such as high school GPA and SAT scores (Lombardi et al., 2012).
Year developed: 2012.
Category: Academic Knowledge and Skills
Sub-Category: College Readiness
Grades: Post secondary