Content Development
We think outside the bubble with twenty-first century curriculum development and assessment practices. True North provides a full range of services from content development through test forms construction and beyond.
Item development
The core members of our team have a combined total of more than 200 years of assessment experience, and yet somehow we never let our work become routine. We pride ourselves on our creative thinking and fresh approaches to every item and item type, from multiple choice to technology enhanced.
Many True North consultants have classroom experience, and most hold advanced degrees.
Our consultants have worked within a variety of item content management systems, each of which has its unique requirements and approaches. Our team has the foundational skills necessary to quickly adjust to and navigate new systems, which increases cost efficiencies.
Item content review and editing
Sometimes it’s good to sweat the details. That’s exactly what we do, whether it’s our own work or that of others as part of quality control/peer review. Senior team members review every item for content validity and alignment, adherence to specifications and blueprints, assessment of the breadth and depth of the standards, coherence of sets as a whole, and fidelity to best practices in item development, including universal design. All items also go through a copyediting/proofing round by team members with assessment-specific experience.
Passage authoring
All True North authors have significant experience in the highly specialized field of educational measurement. They know how to craft passages that will simultaneously engage reader interest and support the development of well-aligned items, while avoiding overused topics and those that might introduce fairness, bias, or sensitivity concerns.
True North authors can develop passages of any genre. We strive to create passages that have authentic voice and realistic scenarios that reflect the diversity of the students who will interact with them.
We are particularly proud of our high-quality works of fiction and drama. In addition, we have writers with specific backgrounds in the content areas, including science and social studies.
Passage searches
We are well-versed in sourcing passages for grades 3–12, including copyrighted and public domain materials. We also know how to strategically navigate the Copyright Clearance Center, a cost-efficient approach favored by some clients.
As a value-added service, we can also provide annotations that indicate where we have built in or identified specific item potential to align to targeted standards.
graphics services
When it comes to visual stimuli to accompany text-based content, we can provide a wide range of media that aligns with the assessment objective.
Our team can source or create the whole continuum of assessment graphics including illustrations, infographics, technical diagrams, sequential art, stock photos, video clips, and animations. Whether commissioning original work or licensing existing content, we can address your content needs.
