ABSTRACT
As general counsel to the Georgia Department of Education, the author learned a great deal about large-scale assessments and the legal and organizational challenges that must be addressed in order for those assessments to be successfully utilized at the state and local levels. This chapter explores the tools necessary in the development of a successful statewide assessment program built in part upon the outsourcing of large assessment contracts to private sector vendors. The foundational topic to be covered surrounds the creation and support of a quality testing division within the state department of education. The chapter explains the essential development of a tight, well-written request for proposal, including the typical pitfalls that befall many public procurements and useful techniques for avoiding those pitfalls. It addresses the management of that contract and the organizational features required for that task. A testing division that contains the appropriate technical expertise and organizational integration and support is foundational to success.
