Assessment Evaluation Tool (AET)
Developed in partnership with Achieve, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS), the Assessment Evaluation Tool (AET) supports educators in evaluating the alignment of existing grade- or course-level assessments to the Common Core State Standards. It also helps educators build understanding of what aligned assessments look like. The AET tool is recommended for use in making decisions about the purchase of assessments, evaluation and analysis of assessments currently in use, and the development of future assessments. Currently, there is a tool available for grades 3-12 for English language arts and grades K-12 for Mathematics. Both tools are organized into sections that include subject-specific, Non-negotiable Alignment Criteria and General Alignment Criteria, an Evaluation Summary form, and Quality Indicators for assessment programs and test items.
The AET is designed to support educators and administrators – including content specialists, assessment specialists, administrators, and educators at the school, district, or state level – in the purchase, evaluation, and development of assessments. It is a valuable tool that helps educators determine whether assessments and sets of assessments are aligned to the Shifts and major features of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). It can also be used as a guide to develop or refine assessments. It is recommended that educators who use the tool have a command of disciplinary and technical knowledge and a strong grasp of the CCSS. At the very least, educators should be familiar with the CCSS documents and the Publishers’ Criteria for the Common Core State Standards, as the AET draws directly from these two documents.