NTS Item Authoring and Test Construction

NTS Item Authoring and Test Construction provide a flexible, accessible, and powerful way to manage items, tasks, and metadata. The authoring system provides secure storage of content and statistical information. This secure, Web-based application contains all pertinent information for each item/task, including item development information (e.g., scoring key, rubric, sample answers), psychometric information (e.g., p-value, point biserial, DIF statistics), and administration information (e.g., last administration date, last location in test). NTS also displays any associated stimulus material and retains versions of the item at each process step. NTS also supports the generation of PDFs for item cards and print test previews and reports of item metadata in CSV and MS Excel. NTS supports authoring a range of item types, including both passage-based item clusters and standalone items. The system also facilitates the development of additional content required to administer the item, including scripts, accessibility information, scoring rubrics, exemplar student responses, and associated stimuli. NTS allows users to upload, edit, and manage assessment frameworks and curriculum standards. In addition, the system provides the ability to configure project-specific settings for item banks and assessments such as grades, content areas, item types, rubric templates, and test designs.
 
NTS includes a web-based user interface with features that permit authorized users to:
 

• Create and organize items into item pools
• Manage user access to secure item pools
• Search for item content and metadata using embedded filters (see screen image)
• Preview item content
• Search for item or year of administration by test
• Assemble and sequence items and non-item content (directions, transition screens) into user-defined groups
• View group statistics for sets of items, such as counts by item type, option balance, and standard coverage
• Preview and publish test content for both print and online test delivery