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Virginia School Consortium for Learning

Assessment Bank Overview

(Formerly Test & Task Bank)

Balanced Assessment services are a core priority of VaSCL comprised of three key components:

  • Provision of a free and robust assessment bank to members that is aligned to SOL standards and best learning practices 
  • Opportunity for instructional staff and leaders from member divisions to participate for free in professional workgroups as an assessment community of practice. Workgroups develop assessment literacy competency as they design, create, field-test, and vet specific test items and performance tasks for inclusion in the bank. 
  • Development of balanced assessment leadership skills by Workgroup team members so they can help use the VaSCL assessment bank and model for formative, summative, and intervention purposes within professional learning communities in their own divisions.  
Virginia Assessment Collaborative
In the 24-25 School Year, VaSCL is in a pilot phase with a goal of developing a Virginia Assessment Collaborative. The purpose of the collaborative will be to increase assessment literacy among educators and within school communities across Virginia. This new initiative is seen as critical by the Executive Board and Steering Committee representatives. A core design principle of this model is the use of Caring Assessment Practices that represent the following shifts in practice at the classroom level:
  • Support teachers to change their language and processes of student assessment so that students will develop the dispositions and competencies essential to learning success rather than defining themselves as poorly performing students who are not capable of high performance.
  • Engage students in the assessment process throughout the learning cycle so that they learn to set and monitor goals, give and receive feedback about their learning, codesign assessment processes so that they see assessment as part of their learning not simply as a grade, and build self-determination to succeed through increased confidence, competence, and agency/belonging as a student.
  • Show significant growth in performance on both SOL assessments and through performance tasks.
  • Increase the rigor of thinking that supports students to develop the durable skills and competencies they use in processing content and concepts specified in standards.

What is the Assessment Bank?

The VaSCL bank includes about 10,000 technology enhanced, constructed response, and multiple-choice items, as well as about 175 performance tasks and rubrics. These items can be used by VaSCL school divisions to provide instructional support for teachers in assessing and differentiating instruction for students as well as providing intervention support.

Only VaSCL member school divisions have exclusive access to the VaSCL Balance Assessment Bank. Test Bank Items are available through PowerSchool’s Performance Matters, Mastery Connect, and Renaissance platforms. Google Drive Folders for VaSCL members who are not clients of VaSCL assessment partners. Task Bank Performance Assessments are available through a Google Website and can be used in a variety of virtual LMS and SIS platforms.   

What Are Assessment Workgroups?

The purpose of the VaSCL Balanced Assessment Workgroups is to provide professional learning and develop resources to enhance assessment practices in all content areas across the state.  As a partner with the Virginia Department of Education, VaSCL has been involved with lobbying for and designing new assessment practices at the state and local level.  

Teachers use assessment on a daily basis to determine student learning and make educational decisions for their students.  Schools, districts and states use assessment practices to make educational decisions on grades, placements, curriculum and instructional needs. While all agree that assessment is crucial, it is easy to lose sight of why we assess. 

The Balanced Assessment Workgroup's main goal is to provide the skills and resources necessary for partner divisions to utilize assessments to improve and enhance learning experiences for all students.  Workgroup teams collaborate to establish a bank of a variety of assessment items that can be used to measure student achievement across all depths of knowledge and skills aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning. Assessment practices are an integral part of educational systems.  

How Are Assessment Workgroups Formed?

How Do Workgroups Function?

Work group members are typically identified by instructional leadership staff in member divisions usually by the steering committee representative or the superintendent. Work group members can also self-register to participate with permission of their member division supervisor, as appropriate to their role. Participation in work groups is for member division staff only and is free.  

Work group members meet onsite and virtually with team leaders. Kelley Aitken, VaSCL Assessment Coordinator, and Annie Evans, Performance Task Coordinator provide overall coordination and supervision of work group activities.  

For more information about becoming a member of a work group, please contact Kelley Aitken at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

2024-25 Work Group Meeting Schedule

  • September 17, 2024:
    Virtual Meeting

    “Building Better Academic Performance Through Balanced Assessment”
    Virtual Workshop: choose to attend either 9:00 - 11:30 AM or 1:00 - 3:30 PM

    * First time work group members are asked to register for this free training session to effectively participate in the Assessment Bank teams.

  • September 18, 2024:
    In-Person Meeting
    Charlottesville, VA

    8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
    * lunch will be provided.

  • October - November, 2024:
    Virtual Meeting

    Virtual Group Work Session
    * based on need and availability of team 

  • January 15, 2025:
    In-Person Meeting
    Charlottesville, VA

    8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
    * lunch will be provided.

Professional Benefits of Participation

Every year the educators who serve in the different subject area workgroups for the Bank have been overwhelmingly positive about the benefits of participating in this ongoing Professional Learning Community made up of instructional leaders from across Virginia, with whom they can discuss pedagogical challenges and share successful instructional strategies.

Professional Development has always been a fundamental part of the VaSCL Balanced Assessment Bank. The Instructional Leaders of our member divisions have greatly valued this VaSCL Community of Practice over the years, as evidenced by their willingness to provide release time for over 200 experienced classroom teachers, curriculum leaders, and instructional specialists in the different subject areas to attend the Balanced Assessment Bank meetings.

VaSCL Memos of Understanding

VaSCL has a Memorandum of Understanding with PowerSchool that results in VaSCL members receiving a reduction in their Performance Matters annual contract costs. For more information about this MOU, please contact Kelley Aitken, VaSCL assessment coordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , VaSCL Executive Director

VaSCL has a Memorandum of Understanding with Mastery Connect that allows VaSCL members to access the VaSCL assessment bank in Mastery Connect.

VaSCL has a Memorandum of Understanding with Renaissance that allows VaSCL members to access the VaSCL assessment bank in Renaissance.

Contact for More Information

Kelley Aitken, VaSCL Assessment Coordinator: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.