Most districts use common assessments.
The challenge is turning them into something that actually improves instruction.
At Princeton City Schools in Ohio, Teacher-Based Teams (TBTs) lead that work. Across grades 6-12, teachers collaborate within each course to design shared assessments and review results together after each administration.
Using Edcite, Princeton has built a system where these assessments do more than measure learning. They help drive it.
Building Common Assessments Through Teacher Collaboration
At Princeton, assessment design is led by teachers.
Teacher-Based Teams:
- Build shared assessments aligned to standards
- Review and refine questions together
- Share assessments across classrooms
Often, one teacher builds the initial version in Edcite, and the team refines it before assigning it. Assessments are then shared through tools like Google Classroom.
This creates consistency while keeping teachers in control.
“Teachers know how to create questions, pull from the library, and share assessments with their teams. The system runs very smoothly.”
— Libby Styles, Director of Teaching & Learning (Secondary)
Strengthening Assessments with the Right Tools
Princeton already valued common assessments, but earlier tools made them harder to execute.
The district needed:
- A wide range of question types
- Clear, actionable reporting
- Alignment to the Ohio state testing environment
- Easy sharing across teams
Just as important, assessments needed to reflect what students see on state tests.
Regular exposure to aligned question types and tools helps students focus on demonstrating what they know.
Designing Common Assessments That Support Learning
Teacher teams use Edcite to build:
- Formative assessments
- Unit quizzes
- Vocabulary checks
- State-aligned test prep
Because assessments are designed ahead of instruction, teams can plan using backward design.
Edcite helps mirror the state testing experience with:
- Technology-enhanced question types
- Text-to-speech and accessibility tools
- Secure testing environments
- Access to released items
Features like question and answer shuffling support both integrity and ease of use.
Using Assessment Data to Inform Instruction
At Princeton, data leads to action.
After each assessment, teams review results to identify patterns in student understanding. Using Edcite’s reports, teachers analyze:
- Item-level performance
- Classroom trends
- Subgroup performance
This allows teams to quickly identify where students need support and adjust instruction.
Some grade levels also assign a teacher lead to review results across classrooms, making it easier to compare outcomes and guide discussions.
This is where assessments shift from being checkpoints to becoming part of the instructional process.
What Makes Teacher-Based Teams Effective
The process is consistent:
- Build shared assessments aligned to standards
- Review results together
- Adjust instruction based on what students need next
This cycle repeats throughout the year and keeps the focus on improving instruction.
Creating Consistency Across Classrooms
Using a single platform across grades 6-12 has created strong consistency.
Teachers can share and refine assessments across teams. Students become familiar with the testing environment over time.
Students gain repeated exposure to:
- Technology-enhanced question types
- State test tools and navigation
- Accessibility features
Teachers also build a growing library of assessments and can track trends over time.
Impact for Teachers and Students
This approach strengthens both collaboration and instruction.
For teachers:
- A shared system for building and improving assessments
- Strong collaboration within Teacher-Based Teams
- Access to actionable data
- A growing bank of assessment content
For students:
- Familiarity with state test formats
- A consistent testing experience
- Assessments that reveal learning gaps
- More targeted support
At Princeton, assessments are part of the instructional process.
Bringing This Approach to Your District
Princeton’s success comes from how assessments are used.
When teachers:
- Collaborate on assessment design
- Review data together
- Adjust instruction in response
they become a tool for improving outcomes across the system.
Want to see how your team can build, share, and act on common assessments?
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