Benchmark Tests: Do They Predict Performance on State Assessments?

Many school districts are spending lots of money on commercially-produced "benchmark" assessments...but what are they getting? Are benchmark assessments really good predictors of performance on state tests?

A new study released by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Education Laboratory should cause administrators to start asking some hard questions. Benchmark testing is expensive, both in dollars paid to the testing companies and in classroom time that is taken away from teaching. To be worth their costs, benchmark tests should do a good job of predicting scores on state assessments.

Many administrators receive assurances that benchmark tests are keyed to state assessments when, in fact, no predictive validity studies have been conducted. The Mid-Atlantic study examined the availability and quality of predictive validity data and found that evidence was lacking of their predictive validity with respect to state tests.

If your district is buying a commercially-produced benchmark testing program, be aware that ethical standards require that test producers provide evidence of validity for the explicit purposes for which theassessment has been developed (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education, 1999). Ask for evidence before you spend the time and money.