Bill H.539

An Act relative to the use of computer-adaptive assessments in K-12 education

By Messrs. Naughton of Clinton and Kelcourse of Amesbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 539) of Harold P. Naughton, Jr., James M. Kelcourse and others relative to the use of computer-adaptive assessments in public schools. Education.

A computer-based adaptive assessment accurately identifies the place of achievement along the K-12 curriculum for each student, regardless of the child’s current grade placement, and identifies whether each student is performing at, below, or above the level typical for the age-based grade. Students answer test questions on a computer, and the test adapts based on the answers. It uses a range of questions spanning multiple grade levels, to identify the child’s level of achievement in each subject. The resulting data would inform districts about the actual learning readiness of each student, so they may be placed in appropriate learning environments. The use of an adaptive state assessment would provide a fair accountability system for educators, documenting true student growth from year to year, regardless of any student’s level of achievement.