Data Recognition Corporation (DRC), a Midwestern assessment company with a Wisconsin office, received a letter of intent from the state to contract for the development, administration, and reporting of results for new assessments for Wisconsin students.
The new Wisconsin Forward Exam from DRC is expected to be shorter and to cost less than the Badger Exam it replaces. It will be administered online, and Wisconsin educators will be involved in test item development and review over the course of the contract.
Contingent on successful contract negotiations, state students will take the Wisconsin Forward Exam in spring 2016. The exam will test students in English language arts and mathematics in grades three through eight and science in grades four, eight, and 10. High school students in grades nine through 11 will continue to take the ACT assessments.
The company was successful in a Request for Proposals (RFP) procurement process conducted by the Department of Administration for the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to replace the Badger Exam. The recently enacted state budget required the DPI to discontinue use of the Badger Exam. Winning the RFP does not constitute a contractual commitment between Wisconsin and Data Recognition Corporation.
DRC, with its Wisconsin office focused on technology development, provides the online interface technology for Wisconsin’s assessment for English language learners (ACCESS for ELLs 2.0). DRC currently serves public, private, and charter schools in 13 states and has successfully transitioned numerous states to online testing via its DRC INSIGHT Online Learning System.
(News release from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)