About BEAR
The Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center designs and delivers educational assessment instruments, performs research in assessment and psychometrics, and trains graduate students in these areas.
We collaborate with researchers in universities across the United States and abroad to develop software and other resources for constructing, managing, administering, and analyzing assessments.
Featured Projects
The core of our research is development and use of appropriate assessment methods for evaluating students, schools, educational policy, and the reform of educational evaluation away from the use of inappropriate standardized tests.
These are some examples of the projects that we are actively developing:
Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) - California Department of Education
The Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) is the assessment required for all children in all state-funded early care and education programs in California. DRDP assesses the key domains of development for children from early infancy through kindergarten. Beginning in 2001, the BEAR Center researchers have designed and implemented valid and reliable measurement of development in early childhood, and created the DRDPtech assessment software system for teachers.
Project Aspire - Defining and Assessing Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching Secondary Mathematics
The BEAR Center is collaborating with a team of mathematics education content experts at Arizona State University led by Pat Thompson on this NSF-funded project. The goal of Project Aspire is to develop an instrument that assesses secondary mathematics teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching secondary mathematics.
Assessing Data Modeling and Statistical Reasoning (ADM)
The ADM project aims to develop an assessment system to evaluate elementary and middle school students’ skills and understanding related to data modeling and statistical reasoning.
Our Software
In addition to our research in psychometrics, the BEAR Center is dedicated to the development of software that can facilitate the delivery and analysis of assessments, providing teachers with innovative and useful ways to assess students.
Recent Publications
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The latest volume of Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives (Volume 11, Issue 1-2, 2013) is now available
This issue is explores the ramifications of testing in the classroom, with a view to maximizing the benefits and minimizing possible drawbacks of current educational testing applications.
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Selected presentations by BEAR Center researchers:
News & Events
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Exploring the Reliability and Validity of Pilot Teacher Ratings in a Large California School District
Reino Makkonen, WestEd
Many states and school districts have recently instituted revamped teacher evaluation policies in response to incentives from the federal government as well as a changing political climate favoring holding teachers accountable for the performance of their students.
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Videos from Luca Mari's Seminar and Workshops
The videos from Luca Mari's seminar and workshops are now available online.
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Luca Mari Workshops on Measurement Science
The videos of all the workshops is available here. Professor Luca Mari will conduct four workshops between Wednesday, November 20 and Friday, November 22. ...