Item Writer Bios

In this world of high stakes educational accountability, it’s important to know how kids are doing all year long. The problem is that right now, there’s no easy way to assess what students know, if they are mastering standards, or if it is necessary for teachers to modify instruction before the annual, high-stakes California Standards Tests (CST).

English-Language Arts
ELA item writers have experience writing, reviewing, and scoring for the following assessments:

• California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)
• Golden State Exam (GSE) in Writing/Language Arts
• South Carolina End-of-Course Examinations
• Ohio K-5 Diagnostic and Achievement Tests
• California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST)
• Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA)
• Bilingual Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (BCLAD) test for Spanish
• California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET)
• Washington Educators Skills Test-Basic (WEST-B)
• California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) ELA
• California Assessment Program (CAP)
• Pearson Educational Measurement Performance Assessments
• Various district and COE ELA subject matter assessments

Mathematics
Mathematics item writers have experience writing, reviewing, and scoring for the following assessments:

• California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)
• Golden State Exams (GSE) in Algebra and Geometry
• California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) Mathematics
• California Assessment Program (CAP)
• Various district and COE Mathematics subject matter assessments

Social Studies
Social Studies item writers have experience writing, reviewing, and scoring for the following assessments:

• California Standards Test (CST)
• California Subject Exam for Teachers (CSET) Social Studies
• Social Studies and Economics PRAXIS
• Golden State Exams (GSE) in Social Science, Economics, U.S. History, and Government
• Advanced Placement (AP) Exams in U.S. History and Government and Politics
• California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) World History
• American Council on Education GED Exams
• Various district and COE Social Studies subject matter assessments

Science
Science item writers have experience writing, reviewing, and scoring for the following assessments:

• Golden State Exams (GSE) in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Coordinated Science
• California Subject Exam for Teachers (CSET) Chemistry
• Scholastic Achievement Test II: Subject Area Test in Biology
• Advanced Placement (AP) Exams in Environmental Science
• Various district and COE Science subject matter assessments