Accurate and reliable assessment data are key to informed educational decision making. Psychometrics ensures the technical quality of the statewide testing programs, including assessments that factor into every school’s South Carolina School Report Card.
The unit engages in the following key activities:
- Providing support in the areas of educational measurement, data analysis, and research
- Reviewing and editing technical reports to ensure that assessments are reliable and valid for their intended purposes
- Conducting data quality checks of assessment data files provided to the state and local education agencies
- Supporting the assessment peer review process to ensure that statewide assessments meet the rigorous requirements set forth in federal education law
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
The South Carolina Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is a committee of professionals with expertise in diverse areas including operational psychometrics, state and federal accountability, and special populations. The purpose of the TAC is to provide feedback and recommendations for the more challenging issues that may arise in the development and administration of state assessments.
Technical Reports for Assessments
Technical reports include information related to the development and administration of large-scale assessments, including the adoption of standards, development of test items, and construction and administration of test forms. Technical reports also include evidence supporting the validity and reliability of assessments as well as intended interpretation of test scores.
Older reports are archived and available upon request.
SC READY
EOCEP
South Carolina Alternate Assessment (SC-Alt)
WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS
Decision Letters on State Assessment Systems Under Title I of ESEA
Federal law requires ELA and math assessment for Grades 3 through 8 and once in high school. Science must be assessed at least once in elementary, middle, and high school. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities must also be assessed in these subjects. Multilingual learners (MLs) and MLs with the most significant cognitive disabilities must receive an English language proficiency (ELP) assessment.
Assessments in these areas are subject to Peer Review. For SC, this includes SC READY ELA, Math, and Science; EOCEP Algebra 1, Biology 1, and English 2; SC-Alt ELA, Math, and Science; and WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS.
The critical elements assessed by Peer Review include examining the statewide assessment system, the assessment system’s operations, the technical quality (e.g., validity and reliability), the inclusion of all groups of students, the standards setting process, and the method by which scores are reported.
U.S. Department of Education Peer Review Outcome Letters are available at this link.
