About Research at Paragon
Paragon's Test Research and Development team are responsible for producing innovative and high-quality language tests through collaboration within the team and with external stakeholders.
The goals of the Test Research and Development unit are as follows:
- Maintain current assessment products and develop new assessments.
- Ensure the security and integrity of Paragon’s assessments.
- Provide evidence for the validity of Paragon’s testing products.
- Show leadership in language assessment design and research in Canada and internationally.
UBC and Paragon Partnership
In September 2015, Paragon Testing Enterprises entered into a partnership with the University of British Columbia (Vancouver Campus), Faculty of Education and Office of the Provost. Together Paragon and UBC are investing $1.8 million over a period of five years to enhance UBC’s standing as a global leader in research and graduate student training in the statistical science of measurement. This initiative is led by Professor Bruno Zumbo, the Paragon UBC Professor in Psychometrics and Measurement.
Publications and Conference Presentations
Paragon emphasizes research-lead assessment design with the aim of being a world-class participant in the field of language testing. The Test R&D unit encourages and financially supports internal research projects and is dedicated to sharing its research findings through presentations at conferences as well as through publications.
Paragon Working Papers
Paragon Working Papers are pre-publication papers that present the findings from research undertaken by recipients of Paragon Research Grants and Doctoral Student Research Grants as well as the findings from research undertaken by Paragon staff.
Test Reports
Paragon prepares users’ guides and annual reports for each testing program. These offer guidance on how to interpret test scores, provide evidence of the soundness of the test administrations and contribute to the validity evidence for the exams.
Awards and Grants
Paragon values collaborative research relationships with professional researchers and graduate students. Paragon Research Grants and Doctoral Student Research Grants provide financial support to cover the cost of data collection or analyses for researchers who wish to carry out original research projects related to one or more Paragon tests.
