Assessment Committees

TCAP Assessment Committee Application for 2025-2026

Are you an educator with ideas about the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) test? Join a TCAP Assessment Committee and share your input on the TCAP! The TCAP Assessment Committees are essential for developing and implementing Tennessee’s statewide summative assessment program. Tennessee has one of the longest-running summative assessment programs in the country, and our teachers are involved in the development of every test question. Your active involvement, along with thousands of Tennessee educators, ensures the assessment process is informed by educators and content experts who know our students, our standards, and what is needed to set each student up for future success. Several of these committees will be collaborating in 2025-26. There is no limit to the number of committees you may apply for: we are looking for educators who are passionate about learning in Tennessee. You may apply for one, many, or all of them. Now is your chance to share your voice! 

Committee Options

Below is a list of assessment committees. Some committees convene more frequently than others. Whether a committee is convening this year depends on both the committee’s purpose and what questions are being developed for grades and subjects per content area. All committees that meet annually are indicated by an asterisk. If your selected committee is not meeting this year, your application will be kept on file for when it next convenes. 

Do you want to have input on the development of questions asked on the TCAP assessments?

• Item Review Committees* –  In our largest committee, educators give valuable feedback on the content and any concerns that would impact a student’s ability to engage newly developed assessment questions before they are embedded into TCAP assessments for field testing.
  

Do you want to guide what students are expected to read and respond to on reading assessments?

• Reading Passage Review Committees* – Educators select reading passages for the Tennessee English language arts (ELA) TCAP assessments that are grade level appropriate, engaging for students, and can support quality analysis aligned to Tennessee’s standards.

Do you want to guide how student essays are graded? 

• Rangefinding Committees* – Educators determine how the Tennessee writing rubrics should be applied so that scorers have clear guidance and Tennessee-specific training on how to score student essays on Tennessee English language arts (ELA) TCAP assessments.
  

Do you want to help define what student mastery should look like in your content area? 

• Performance Level Review and Standard Setting Committees* – Educators help define what it means for a student to be on track within our TCAP assessments. Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) explain the observable evidence of student achievement across the four performance levels (Below, Approaching, On Track, and Mastered). Standard setting uses the PLDs to identify what that mastery looks like for students in each performance level, making cut score recommendations to the State Board of Education for any new or updated assessments. The Performance Level Review Committee reviews Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) and the Standard Setting Committee uses the PLDs to determine each standard for all assessed grade levels. Performance Level Review and Standard Setting are separate committees, but participation on both committees is encouraged.

Want to evaluate and give TCAP assessments a grade? 

• Alignment Studies Committees – Educators aid in evaluating TCAP assessments for how well they align to Tennessee Academic Standards, to expected levels of rigor, and to the TCAP blueprints. 

Additional committee meetings may be convened as needed with panels being pulled from the current database of active assessment committee applicants. 

Eligibility

Educators must be employed by a Tennessee school or district. Educators attending in-person committees must have reliable transportation to the meeting location. Educators attending virtual committees must have reliable tech equipment required for participation.  

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m not a special education teacher. Can I participate in Alt Committees? 

Yes. Committees for TCAP Alternate assessments (TCAP-Alt) are composed of educators with both special populations expertise and subject area expertise. This ensures that all students receive an education that is appropriately aligned to the grade-level and course standards.

What if committees happen during the school year? 

We’ve got you covered. Panelists will receive a substitute reimbursement and a stipend if a committee meets on a school day or a stipend if a committee meets when school is not in session.

Does committee work span all grade levels?  

Assessment committees are convened for all tested grades and subjects in TCAP, from second grade to end-of-course (EOC) exams including areas appropriate for the TCAP-Alternate assessment 

May I participate if I recently retired from a Tennessee school or district? 

Applicants may participate within 1 year of retirement from a Tennessee school or district.  

General education: 

• Grade 2: TCAP has an optional administration for ELA and math
• ELA: TCAP is administered for grades 3-8 and English 1-2
• Math: TCAP is administered for grades 3-8, algebra 1-2, geometry, and integrated math 1-3
• Science: TCAP is administered for grades 3-8 and biology
• Social studies: TCAP is administered for grades 6-8 and high school U.S. history

Alternate (Alt) education:

• Grade 2: TCAP-Alt has an optional administration for ELA and math
• Science: TCAP-Alt is administered for grades 3-8 and Biology
• Social studies: TCAP-Alt is administered for grades 6-8

Application Deadline

Educators who applied for assessment committees in 2023 or later DO NOT need to re-apply to be considered for the same assessment committees convening in 2025-26. Educators who have not previously submitted an assessment committee application in 2020 or later, will need to apply online. The date a new application is received determines which term (fall, spring or summer) the application will be processed and entered into the pool for consideration:

To ensure your application is considered for Spring 2026 and later committees, the deadline to apply is Friday, Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Information for the summer deadline will be shared later this year.  

The application portal will remain open after these deadlines if you would like to apply in advance of future year’s committees. All applicants who met the application submission deadline will receive updates on when a committee's invitation window opens and closes.

Apply Online

New applicants may access the 2025-2026 assessment committee application here.

Returning educators who applied for assessment committees in 2023 or later DO NOT need to re-apply to be considered for assessment committees convening in the same content area(s) in 2025-26. Please e-mail Ashleigh Barker, Communications Manager, at Ashleigh.Barker@tn.gov with any questions about updating your previous application details and adding content areas to an existing application.

Tentative Dates and Locations For 2025-2026 Assessment Committees

While you are strongly encouraged to apply for all committees relevant to your area of expertise, where events run concurrently, you will only be invited to participate in one.   

For committees that do meet in person, all panelists who travel will receive mileage reimbursement for participation, and those travelling more than 50 miles will also receive hotel accommodations. All dates and locations for committees are subject to change. More detailed meeting information will be provided with invitations to participate.  

The 2026 Summer Assessment Committee schedule will be posted later this year.

Thank you!

As educators, we know you are extremely busy, and we thank you for taking the time out of your day to complete this application and for your willingness to dedicate your time to improving our assessment program. Our assessment program is built on the knowledge and expertise of our Tennessee educators. Thank you for sharing your voice as we build innovative assessments together!