This presentation will provide a critical perspective on testing programs in the United States and their testing capacity in state assessment offices. Also, it will provide information that supports the need to increase capacity in doctoral programs and assessment offices in school districts and states.
Issues discussed include: (1) the strategy for gathering information about the characteristics of testing programs in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the United States, (2) information about the findings in relation to two critical aspects in testing, transparency and validity in testing, and (3) suggestions for improvement in testing capacity based on our findings.


The analytical strategy is based on a set of questions intended to guide the search for information that is critical to characterizing, monitoring, and qualifying testing programs. The questions were formulated based on our analysis of multiple sources of information, focusing on the different components of the process of test development and their technical evaluation. This analytical strategy makes evident the limitations of testing programs and the lack of attention of those in charge of the testing programs. Responding to these questions informs about the testing programs that are missing as well as the specific courses of action that are needed to improve the testing capacity of those working in assessment offices and their testing practices. For example, although all technical reports have information about the different sources of evidence for validity, such evidence, for the most part, is incomplete and not related to the test purposes described in the technical reports. These results speak to the need for requiring testing companies to comply with or report more detailed information on specific requirements concerning the development, administration, and technical evaluation of instruments. Also, more specific training is needed at both doctoral programs and assessment offices.