What We’re Up To: Center Presentations at NCSA 2026
Another big assessment conference—the National Conference on Student Assessment—is coming up next week, in Austin, Texas June 22-24. Our associates have a bunch of great presentations lined up.
Here’s a quick rundown of what we’re doing and when. The NCSA program provides locations and more details on each session.
Monday, June 22
Creating Coherent Assessment Systems Is Hard. Can We Make It Easier? (2:30 – 3:30 pm)
- Scott Marion
- Kyla McClure
The ‘Now What’ Problem: Leveraging Use Cases in Assessment and Accountability Design and Implementation (4 – 5 pm)
- Nathan Dadey
The Nation’s Report Card Status Report (4 – 5 pm)
- Scott Marion
Tuesday, June 23
School Choice and Special Education: Considerations for Accountability and Assessment (9 -10 am)
- Cara Laitusis
Guidance for SEAs on Applications and Considerations of AI in Large-scale Assessment (9 – 10 am)
- Will Lorié
Do Our Tests Measure How Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Learn to Read? State, District, and Research Perspectives (10:30 – 11:30 am)
- Cara Laitusis
Revising the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing: Perspectives of State Education Leaders (10:30 – 11:30 am)
- Laura Hamilton
Transition in Assessments: Can I Have My Cake and Eat It, Too? (1 – 2 pm)
- Chris Domaleski
Coherent Pathways to Student Success: Rethinking Readiness Measures in State Accountability Systems (1 – 2 pm)
- Erika Landl
Foundational Competencies for State Assessment Leaders to Support Innovative and Balanced Assessment Systems (1 – 2 pm)
- Scott Marion
Connecting Stakeholder Voices: Comparing Communications and Engagement Strategies in Illinois and Virginia Standard Setting Processes (1 – 2 pm)
- Will Lorié
Strengthening Alternate Assessment Decisions in Mississippi: How MDE Created a Plan Grounded Research, Data, and Practitioner Insight (4 – 5 pm)
- Chris Brandt
- Chris Domaleski
To Set Standards or Not to Set Standards, That is the Question (4 – 5 pm)
- Juan D’Brot
- Scott Marion
Bridging Accountability and School Improvement: A State Policy Road Map (4 – 5 pm)
- Laura Pinsonneault
AI-enhanced Item Quality Evaluation for State Tests: Item Content Alignment and Item Parameter Modeling (4 – 5 pm)
- André Rupp
Wednesday, June 24
Safeguarding and Strengthening State Assessment and Accountability in Uncertain Times (10:30 – 11:30 am)
- Chris Domaleski
Building Robust, Reproducible State Analytic Workflows: From Vision to Practice (1 – 2 pm)
- Damian Betebenner
- Nathan Dadey
Advancing Civic Readiness Through Assessment (1 – 2 pm)
- Laura Hamilton
- Chris Brandt
Bridging Accessibility Gaps: Connecting the Dots Between Paper Based and Technology Based Alternate Assessments (2:15 – 3:15 pm)
- Cara Laitusis
Microcredentialing in K-12: Frameworks, Practices, and Insights (2:15 – 3:15 pm)
- André Rupp
Designing for Meaning: Reporting and Analytics to Support Innovative Assessment Systems (2:15 – 3:15 pm)
- Juan D’Brot