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1EdTech Consortium Announces Assessment Content Conformance Certifications

1EdTech Consortium Announces Assessment Content Conformance Certifications


Question & Test Interoperability (QTI v2.1) and Accessible Portable Item Protocol (APIP) Conformance Testing to Receive 1EdTech Certification Now Available

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Lake Mary, Florida, USA – 8 May 2012 – The 1EdTech Consortium (1EdTech) today announced availability of conformance certifications for a family of technical standards supporting next generation electronic assessment. These certifications are essential for assessment item/test authoring and delivery software that wish to implement the 1EdTech Question and Test Interoperability (QTI v2.1) and/or the Accessible Portable Item Protocol (APIP v1.0) standards. 

1EdTech APIP is a standard for digital interchange of assessment content (items and tests) and results (item results and test results). APIP also describes digital delivery options for a range of common accessibility needs. Use of APIP enables assessment materials to be exchanged digitally among a wide variety of products, such as item/test authoring products, item banks, and test delivery systems. APIP is a precisely defined subset of 1EdTech Question & Test Interoperability (QTI) version 2.1 with some additional features that are not currently included in QTI. APIP has been led in 1EdTech by a set of U.S. assessment leaders including suppliers CTB McGraw-Hill, ETS, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Measured Progress, Pearson and states Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Utah.

1EdTech QTI v2.1 has undergone rigorous implementation and refinement over the last two years led by BPS Bildungsportal Sachsen GmbH, Cito, College voor Examens, JISC CETIS, KERIS (Korea Education & Research Information Service), University of Glasgow, University of Pierre & Marie Curie, and University of Southampton. This has resulted in a “formative assessment entry” subset of the standard for conformance certification. QTI v2.1 conformance certification addresses formative assessment requirements.

1EdTech has made available a Primer on 1EdTech Assessment Conformance and Certification to guide suppliers and users. Please see http://www.imsglobal.org/apip/IMSAssessmentPrimerv1p0.html As a result of establishing conformance certification, QTI v2.1 has been designated a final public specification and APIP v1.0 has been declared a candidate final (allowing minor modifications based on feedback from initial implementations). Products that have achieved conformance certification for
1EdTech standards are contained in the official list at imscert.org.

"We are pleased to be able to support the electronic assessment and learning platform communities with the interoperability standards that are essential for allowing systems to work together,” commented Dr. Rob Abel, Chief Executive of 1EdTech. "The conformance and evolution of APIP and QTI will continue to be closely coordinated, supported and evolved by 1EdTech as the world moves to better forms of electronic assessment.”

CTB/McGraw-Hill
“CTB/McGraw-Hill is pleased to be involved in 1EdTech’s QTI and APIP initiatives, and we fully support adoption of these important standards.  As a leading publisher of educational assessments, we recognize the significant benefits that standardization of key content elements can have for all stakeholders, and especially for those using accommodations.  We view these standards as important advancements, and we are committed to producing test items that are tagged in accordance with the QTI/APIP standards.” - Ellen Haley, President

ETS
“The timeliness of conformance certifications cannot be overstated. APIP – by name or by concept – is showing up in more and more state requirements, as well as those of the national consortia. States and consortia are keenly aware of how critical these standards are in developing the next generation of K12 assessments so that we develop items from the start that are accessible to as many students as possible. That work is ready to begin this summer in earnest in many programs across the country, and these conformance certifications will allow this development to be as efficient as possible going forward.”  - Dirk Mattson, Executive Director K12

JISC CETIS
"Assessment is fundamental to education, but making good tests takes a lot of time and effort. That's why the world's only open computer aided assessment specification is so important: it gives a choice of tools now and in the future. That's also why JISC - CETIS will continue to work with 1EdTech on making QTI as good as it can be, and support the community in implementing and deploying it.” – Wilbert Kraan, Assistant Director

Measured Progress
“By developing the technological underpinnings for APIP and QTI, the 1EdTech Consortium is making the promise of accessibility for the entire student testing population a reality.” - Martin Borg, President

Pearson
"Pearson is committed to supporting open interoperability standards to promote innovation and the growth and development of the next-generation of computer-delivered assessments, and the publication of the 1EdTech Question and Test Interoperability (QTI v2.1) and Accessible Portable Item Protocol (APIP v1.0) standards represent a major milestone towards that end," said Douglas Kubach, President and CEO of Pearson's Assessment and Information Group.

 

About 1EdTech Consortium (1EdTech) www.imsglobal.org
1EdTech is a nonprofit organization that advances technology that can affordably scale and improve educational participation and attainment. 1EdTech members are leading suppliers, institutions and government organizations that are enabling the future of education by collaborating on interoperability and adoption initiatives. 1EdTech sponsors Learning Impact: A global awards program & conference to recognize the impact of innovative technology on educational access, affordability, and quality.