About
The Institute for Innovative Assessment (IIA) pioneers the development and investigation of leading-edge assessment instruments and related resources that support teaching and learning at the classroom, interim, and summative levels.
Who We Are
We are a community of researchers, educators, designers, and programmers dedicated to transforming assessment for today’s classroom. Formerly the Center for the Study of Assessment Validity and Evaluation at the University of Maryland, the Institute has been part of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for nearly 20 years.
Since moving to UW–Madison, we have continued to expand our research in innovative and equitable assessment, with an emphasis on developing classroom-based tools that inform and empower both teachers and students.
What We Do
The Institute builds rich, efficient, and effective assessments that
- Capture students’ understanding via innovative response modes.
- Measure differentiated learning on interactive item types for all learners.
- Score real-time performances measuring complex reasoning and skills.
- Deliver immediate, formative feedback to students and teachers.
People
The Rest of Our Team: IT Designers, Developers, and Programmers
- Elizabeth Kraege-Soechting, App Development Manager
- Dave Marcou, Multimedia Designer
- Jared Mehl, Software Application Developer
- Rebekah Novak, Software Project Manager
- Christine Olson, Web Designer & Accessibility Specialist
- Michael Sherry, Software Application Developer
Work with Us
We engage in a variety of collaborative activities with schools, districts, state education agencies, institutions of higher education, education organizations, and test and textbook publishers. Our services include but are not limited to research and assessment design, expert/advisory consultations, and the development and delivery of trainings on topics related to innovative assessment and inclusive educational practices (see Projects and Publications pages for more information).
Please email us for more details – we’d love to hear from you.