About DTS

At the Developmental Testing Service, LLC (DTS), we are dedicated to designing assessments that capture the transformations in thinking that occur up to 14 times over the course of the lifespan. Each of these transformations leads to a more complex, integrated, and adequate way of thinking. Whereas traditional tests do a good job examining what people know, our tests examine the way people think about what they know.

We are further dedicated to transforming testing by changing the way people think about assessment. Most tests provide information about how well an individual is performing relative to others. Our tests transcend comparison. They tell learners what they need to learn next in an empirically validated developmental sequence. This turns testing into what it should be: part of the learning process. To accomplish these goals, we design reliable small- and large-scale assessments of intellectual development in a range of knowledge domains. We also support the mass customization of learning by designing methods for matching individual learners with appropriate curricula.

We are committed to excellence in both research and application. All of our work is grounded in well-established scientific research. We never jump on the latest bandwagon.

In addition to providing excellent products for our customers, we are documenting conceptual development in a variety of knowledge domains and disseminating this knowledge widely through publications and the Lectical™ Assessment web site. We also make a contribution to public education by working with our colleagues to devise developmentally informed curricula and targeted assessments that are of practical use to classroom teachers.

We serve a variety of customers, including the U. S. Federal government, colleges & universities, consultants, clinicians, coaches, and academics. Follow the links below to explore how our assessments could be useful to you.

• Educational consulting
• Leadership coaching & consulting
• Integral psychotherapy
• College admissions
• Program evaluation
• Human resources
• Organizational development
• Self development
• Academic research

Dr. Kurt Fischer is the Charles Warland Bigelow Professor and Director of Mind, Brain, & Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is the originator of Dynamic Skill Theory, upon which the Lectical™ Assessment System is primarily based.

"DTS does important, ground-breaking work in rigorously applying the best developmental assessment methods to real-world problems in educational and other real-world settings. They expertly use the concepts and developmental scales from skill theory and related developmental models to illuminate learning and other kinds of knowledge change and variation. Their work will transform cognitive and educational assessment to facilitate building powerful new tools for analyzing and improving teaching, learning, and intervention."

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Dawson's dissertation demonstrated the power and utility of a novel methodology that makes it possible to describe conceptual development in any domain of knowledge without the expense of conducting longitudinal research.

From Dawson's perspective, development is the appropriate aim of education. More than ever before, workers/citizens need great flexibility of mind and capacity for handling complexity. As much as they need appropriate knowledge, they also need to know how to work with knowledge to solve problems, make critical decisions, and handle the demands of modern life. The tools and methods Dawson has developed—and continues to develop—are all designed to help educators/employers achieve these ends.

Listen to an interview with Theo | Dawson's CV

Zak has been with DTS since the beginning. As Senior Analyst he has been instrumental in refining and employing key methodologies, preparing reports, training, and teaching. Zak brings a broad perspective to bear on issues of theory and practice, informed a by passion for philosophical and meta-disciplinary models.

Zak received a B.A. from Hampshire College 2004, where he studied religion, philosophy, and cognitive science. In 2006 he received an Ed.M. in Mind, Brain, and Education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and was awarded several honors for outstanding academic performance. Zak is currently a student of philosophy and cognitive development pursuing a doctorate at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Stein's CV