Common Measures Development Process
ESE encourages educators to follow these steps to build
common assessments that are well-aligned to content and
provide meaningful feedback about what students have
learned. Watch MA educators discuss the process and
take a look at example common assessments developed by
MA educators using the process.
PREPARE
Setting Expectations
Indentifying Content
DEVELOP
Identifying the Measure
Developing Common Assessment Components
REFLECT
Collecting Data
Drawing Conclusions
PREPARE
Setting Expectations: Educators should receive training on the purpose of common measures and a
refresher on basic assessment concepts. They should also understand how common measures are used
in the MA Educator Evaluation Framework to provide educators with feedback about their impact on
student learning, growth, and achievement. Improved assessment literacy is often cited as one of the
most impactful outcomes of participating in this work.
Identifying content: Before identifying an appropriate measure, educators need to identify the most
critical understanding, skills, or learning that they are responsible for teaching and students are
responsible for learning.
DEVELOP
Identifying the measure: As educators identify a measure they need to select the assessment type
(e.g., performance assessment, portfolio, project, selected response, indirect measure). They also need
to identify the approach to measuring growth they will use. Finally, if using an existing assessment,
educators should review all items and materials and make necessary refinements (e.g., rewording
items, adjusting scoring rubrics, clarifying student instructions).
Developing Common Assessment Components: After a team has identified a measure, educators
need to be clear about how the assessment will be used across different classrooms. This includes
identifying the following:
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Administration protocols: How, when, and where an assessment is administered consistently to
different classrooms of students.
Parameters: What is the definition of low, moderate, and high growth (which may be described
as exceeding, meeting, or approaching expectations).
Accessibility: In addition to clearly defining how an assessment will be administered
consistently, developers need to review common assessments for accessibility and identify
protocols for appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities and English language
learners.
REFLECT
Collecting Data: After an assessment has been administered, educators need to collect and score the
results.
Drawing Conclusions: Reflecting on results, educators should think about improvements not only to
their practice, but to the measures themselves and confirm that the measure provides meaningful
information about students' understanding of the identified content.