Each item bank will be designed by the program area to align with the curriculum by cluster, unit/course, competency and DOK level. Item banks already validated with Mississippi students will result in cost efficiency for the state.
Each operational MS-CPAS2 form will have field-test items embedded so that they cannot be distinguished from the operational items. Secondary career pathways with curricula developed after 2007 have two assessments consisting of 80 operational items and 20 field-test items. Students in these pathways will receive an assessment after they complete each year of the career pathway. Secondary career pathways with curricula developed prior to 2007 have assessments consisisting of 70 operational items and 30 field-test items. Students in these pathways will receive an assessment after they complete both years of the career pathway. Please review the program's blueprints for more information.
Postsecondary programs either have an assessment consisting of 80 operational items and 20 field-test items delivered at the end of the technical certficate/AAS completion or two assessments with one assessment consisting of 40 operational items and 10 field-test items delivered after the career certificate completion and the other assessment delivered after technical certificate completion. Postsecondary assessments that are denoted with a Year 1 and Year 2 test will also fall into this latter category. Please review the program's blueprints for more information.
The purpose of field-testing items with each test administration is to ensure that there are enough items to eventually add the capability to offer formative assessments that can be used during the school year. This is also a cost-efficiency measure to ensure that additional cost is not accrued to field-test items.