The year was 1983; the location was the seacoast region of New Hampshire. Richard Hill and Stuart Kahl, two young experts in the field of assessment development, teamed to incorporate Advanced Systems in Measurement and Evaluation. With a handful of employees and modest accommodations, Advanced Systems started with two small contracts.
Advanced Systems was a pioneer in the creation of customized, criterion-referenced, later “standards-based,” assessment—representing a major leap forward from the traditional, norm-referenced tests that had been the mainstay of assessment for decades. As our client roster grew, so did our track record. Our unwavering commitment to our clients, supported by the competence and accessibility of our staff, have earned us the reputation of “doing what it takes” to get the job done right for each client. Further, we have the best record in the field for accuracy in high stakes testing.
Fast-forward to 2004. Advanced Systems is now Measured Progress, a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization. We manage assessment contracts in twenty-three states, as well as in one large-city school system and three multistate consortia. Our staff has grown to nearly two hundred fifty permanent employees, augmented by a large seasonal workforce. We currently operate from three major facilities in New Hampshire, as well as remote scoring facilities in New York and Utah. We anticipate breaking ground this year on a multibuilding campus to house all of our New Hampshire operations.
Our Products and services have also evolved, as we work to find new and increasingly effective ways to positively influence teaching and learning for all students. Measured Progress is the nation’s leading provider of alternate assessments for students with profound disabilities. We are also involved in assessment for English language learners, classroom assessment to enable teachers and students to collaborate to monitor learning, computer-delivered testing, and a growing range of customized, professional development Products and services for educators.
In twenty years, our commitment to teaching and learning hasn’t changed. This is a crucial focus given the increasing pressure schools face to document school and student performance. We serve as a valuable resource to schools, districts, and states grappling with the mandates of the No Child Left Behind and Individuals With Disabilities Education Acts. We also strive to help our clients make sure that the priority of student learning doesn’t get forgotten in the student assessment process.
As Measured Progress begins its third decade, we are mindful of that priority—and of our responsibility to serve as a resource, both to our clients and other education stakeholders (from parents and the general public to the media and those involved with shaping education policy). “It’s all about student learning. Period.” is more than a motto at Measured Progress; it is the core philosophy that drives everything we do.
