Academic Competence Evaluation Scales
Second EditionThe Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (ACES) are brief rating scales that measure social, behavioral, and academic skills associated with student learning in schools. The ACES can be completed by teachers or students, and they have been used in K-12 and higher education settings for nearly two decades. Given increased awareness of the importance of social, emotional, affective, and behavioral skills in promoting student success, the ACES are in many ways even more relevant today than when first released.
The ACES-2 project is a national study to develop the next generation of the ACES. Participating students and teachers across the country will assist our research team with developing, piloting, and field-testing items for inclusion on updated versions of the ACES that will be more efficient, developmentally-sensitive, and universally accessible via a secure online platform.
The research is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences and conducted in partnership with The Pennsylvania State University and University of Florida.
Goals for the ACES-2 Project
New Domains
Through rigorous literature review and feedback from real teachers, the ACES-2 will incorporate new domains to better characterize students’ academic competence.
Differentiated Forms
The ACES-2 will feature multiple forms to maximize developmental sensitivity and assessment efficiency.
Advanced Psychometric Methods
The ACES-2 will be one of the first rating scales developed from top-to-bottom using Item Response Theory—the most cutting-edge methodology available today.
New Norms to Reflect Growing Diversity
The ACES-2 will be normed with a large sample that is nationally representative and will reflect the growing diversity of learners in the United States.