About CAL
Realizing the enormous potential of online testing to impact student learning, Dr. Douglas Glasnapp and Dr. John Poggio began research and development of online assessment solutions in the late 1990s at the University of Kansas - Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation (CETE). Their combined experience of over 60 years and dedication to the future of assessment led to the first implementation of online assessments in the 2003 state mandated Kansas Assessment program.
As other states and education agencies began to look at the Kansas online testing implementation as an efficient and convenient alternative to traditional paper and pencil tests, the need for a highly developed and secure computerized assessment system was evident.
Under the expertise and direction of Drs. Poggio and Glasnapp, CETE was the first university-based organization in the nation to have implemented statewide assessment under Federal standards-based testing mandates (NCLB) and has delivered assessment solutions to the state of Kansas in one of the longest continuing client-vendor relationships in the testing industry.
Capitalizing on the pioneering development work at the University, CAL was formed in 2005 by Drs. Poggio and Glasnapp to provide assessment systems and products developed by CETE to a broader audience. CAL's relationship and agreement with the University gives CAL exclusive license to market all computer testing software and online test delivery systems developed by CETE. Any agreements and contracts which CAL receives or is awarded are independent of the University. The University gains economic benefits through the exclusive agreement. Since its inception, CAL has demonstrated its capacity to independently deliver online testing solutions and that capacity continues to grow.
Given its university roots, the CAL online assessment system is the most studied and researched computerized, real-time test delivery application in K-12 education. The CAL team has conducted and authored a variety of rigorous studies to ensure online assessments that lead to valid and reliable results.
Over the past six years, CAL has created the most up-to-date computerized assessment platform available in the country today. This online test delivery system is currently being used to deliver innovative online testing solutions through contracts with several states including Kansas, Idaho, Alaska, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. In 2008 alone, the CAL online assessment system reliably delivered almost 5 million computer-based tests without delays or interruptions in service.
The CAL online assessment system’s proven delivery capability, our record of uncompromising quality, and experience in transitioning state education agencies to online assessment has made CAL the industry leader in online testing systems and services.