Development
The development process may include the following activities:
Framework Review
Assessment specifications in the form of test frameworks are reviewed by committees
of licensed Missouri educators and educator preparation program faculty. The frameworks
define the knowledge and skills to be assessed on each test. Content Advisory Committees
review the accuracy and appropriateness of the materials. In addition, materials
are reviewed to eliminate potential sources of bias and to include diversity in
the assessment materials. The review of test frameworks may be conducted independently online
or in an in-person meeting. In-person meetings are typically one day.
Item Review
At an Item Review Conference, test questions and other assessment materials are reviewed by committees of Missouri educators. The Item Review Conference is typically a one-day meeting.
Field Testing
Test questions are field tested to gather information about item performance. The field tests provide educator candidates and those interested in entering an educator preparation program with valuable practice in taking the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA) and the opportunity to gain insight into the knowledge and skills being evaluated by the new assessments.
Marker Response Establishment
For assessments that include one or more constructed-response items, Content Advisory Committee members will convene to review field-test responses and to select responses that will serve as "score-point markers" used to orient scorers during the operational holistic scoring sessions. The Marker Response Selection Meeting is typically a one-day meeting.
Standard Setting
At this meeting, educators participate in a process for recommending a passing score for the assessments to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The Standard Setting Conference is typically a one- or two-day meeting.
Bias Review Committee
Educators will convene to review draft test materials, including test frameworks and test items, for bias prevention and the inclusion of diversity in test materials. This is typically a one- or two-day meeting.
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