Schools Test Changes to Measuring Student Achievement

Simba Information estimates that the total PreK-12 testing market exceeded $2.73 billion in 2018-2019, essentially flat with the previous year. Efforts to streamline testing, especially at the state-level, were tempered somewhat by growth in sales of classroom assessments for use in the formative assessment process.

Purchases of state-level summative assessments declined by an estimated 3.5% in 2018-2019, according to Simba in its newly published report, PreK-12 Testing Market Forecast 2019-2020. State-level assessments generated an estimated 40.4% share of the total assessment market, compared to 59.6% for classroom assessment materials.

The focus in schools has moved from the large state-level summative exams to classroom assessments. Sales of classroom assessments increased an estimated 3.1% in 2018-2019 from the year before. Recognition of the formative assessment process as critical to learning, the involvement of bigger players in the market, and the emphasis on balanced assessment systems are all driving growth in this sector.

On the other hand, a growing movement to integrate classroom assessments into instructional materials, a movement toward performance assessments at the district level, a confusing and cluttered landscape, and the importance of teacher-created materials in this market tamped down sales growth to some degree.

The period from 2000 through 2018 as schools went through the No Child Left Behind and Common Core eras saw intensifying pressure around testing and led to the more recent movement to reduce the amount of time spent taking tests and preparing for them. The state of the industry and the market appears to be calming down.

Several states are working under multiple-year assessment plans for the first time in years. After a flurry of new test contracts through 2018, there seems to be a relatively fallow period ahead for new RFPs until the next round in 2021-2022.

While there are continued challenges ahead for providers of all types of assessments, the industry is expected to see modest growth of 1.2% to 1.9%, reaching $2.94 billion in 2022-2023, according to Simba.

In addition to the segmentation and growth projections of the industry, Simba’s PreK-12 Testing Market Forecast 2018-2019 includes several case studies of states and districts that are changing their testing practices, federal and state policies that are driving the change and short profiles of 21 leading assessment providers.

Additional information on PreK-12 Testing Market Forecast 2019-2020 can be found at www.simbainformation.com or by calling 888-29-SIMBA.