An assessment specialist in education is an administrative professional who designs and conducts assessment tests for a variety of academic clients. Their goal is to identify and isolate the students’ needs through assessments that reveal current skill levels, natural aptitudes, deficiency areas and individual interests. They also conduct assessments that measure the effectiveness of the schools’ teaching methods, student performances and choices of subject matters.
An assessment specialist in education will assists in implementing departmental objectives, school standards and state policies. They measure individual and collective performances against established guidelines. They may be asked to monitor special education or talented and gifted (TAG) staff to assure that objectives are attained and that changes are recommended. They periodically meet with staff to resolve issues, review progress and communicate new developments.
An assessment specialist in education must maintain a strong knowledge base of laws related to academic standards, special education and student assessments. They maintain a knowledge of current assessment practices and evaluation tools by participating in continuing education activities. When necessary, they create policies and monitor procedures to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. They also may be asked to perform internal audits and participate with external audits with government representatives.
Abilities and Knowledge
An assessment specialist in education will need knowledge of state laws and federal pertaining to educational assessments. They are accountable to evaluate programs and systems, so they must maintain the security of sensitive assessment data. They must know how to develop new systems and enhance existing programs. Knowledge of advanced system analysis theories and techniques is expected by employers.
They must have technical competency with large-scale applications, data warehouses and related communications concepts. Some educational organizations will expect job candidates to have a computer programming background and be fluent in popular languages. All schools will expect assessment specialists to have a strong knowledge base of standard measures and statistical tools that used in educational assessments. An assessment specialist in education must have an analytical and organized mind.
How to Become an Assessment Specialist in Education?
There are very few bachelor’s degrees in this area, but there are plenty of master’s and doctorate programs in educational assessment or testing. There are graduate certificate programs available in educational assessment that expose students to basic overviews of assessment systems, practices and standards. These programs teach students how to evaluate and analyze exam results, conduct external research and use assessments in classroom environments.
The coursework for these programs include topics on school leadership, standards-based education and curriculum analysis and development. Qualitative and quantitative research methods are taught by requiring students to complete comprehensive projects on topics like educational policies or measurements. Some programs offer degree concentrations that train students to become program specialist, who are responsible for state-wide or department-wide systems, or staff specialist, who are trained in a professional discipline.
Related Resource: Become an Educational Consultant
An assessment specialist in education may work in colleges, publishers and school districts. Those who work for schools are usually in charge of administering tests that identify potential classes for students based on their intellectual abilities, according to the College Board. Others work for publishers reviewing and updating standardized test study guides for the SAT and GMAT.