DRC is strongly committed to excellence in all aspects of assessment development. In fact, we have put together one of the best Test Development teams in the industry. Their dedication to quality, accuracy, and timeliness will produce customized assessments aligned with your state’s testing standards and needs every-time.

Ms. Patricia Jo McDivitt, Vice President of Test Development, oversees all phases of item and test development for DRC’s statewide assessment clients. Ms. McDivitt is eminently qualified for this role: She has 18 years of test development experience, including analyzing content standards, developing item specifications and test designs, training item writers, writing items, and constructing forms. In addition, Ms. McDivitt’s 12 years of classroom teaching and counseling gave her an in-depth understanding of how both students and teachers can benefit from well-constructed assessments. Ms. McDivitt serves on the board of directors for the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, where she has been instrumental in the launch of the Student Evaluation Standards. She also serves on the editorial board of the Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development (MECD) journal, and is past president of the Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education (AACE).

At DRC, we understand that high-quality assessments require experienced test developers who have extensive knowledge in specific content areas. Our test developers have degrees in mathematics, social studies, science, reading, English language arts education, curriculum and instruction, or related fields. Many are also former teachers, some of whom are nationally board-certified. They adhere to item and test development "best practices" as prescribed by the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing and remain current in their fields by actively participating in professional associations.

DRC goes beyond providing test development products and services. We approach each client relationship as a long-term partnership and work collaboratively with you to develop assessments that meet your state’s singular testing needs. Our Test Development team follows a process that we believe exceeds industry standards, including both internal and external quality reviews.

DRC’s Test Development team also develops workshop materials to train teachers and assessment leaders on how to use assessments and interpret results. This professional development model is designed to enhance educators’ understanding of the critical connection between assessments and day-to-day classroom teaching and learning. During our training, we focus on teaching the best practices that help participants maximize student achievement and increase student motivation.

DRC also offers Performance Assessment Services, delivered by one of the most experienced staffs in the industry. Our services include prompt development, rubric development, anchor paper selection, reader recruitment and training, and program evaluation. We provide scoring services for all scoring models, and work closely with our clients to ensure that scoring proceeds efficiently and reliably.

With Test Development and Performance Assessment all under one roof, you experience content synergies and seamless coordination throughout the test development and scoring process.