What Scholastic Testing Service does

Scholastic Testing Service, Inc. (STS) is a privately held US educational assessment company operating since at least 1955 from Bensenville, Illinois (administrative, editorial, and order fulfillment) with a research, development, and scoring center in Earth City, Missouri. The company develops, publishes, and administers standardized norm-referenced assessments for early childhood through grade 12, with its flagship intellectual property being the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) developed by Dr. E. Paul Torrance in 1958. The portfolio spans readiness tests (KRT-3, PPS, KSI), diagnostic instruments (DRA, DMA), achievement batteries (EDSeries), online competency tests (LSA, QUIC), creativity and gifted assessments (TTCT, ATTA, TCAM, TCSW, KMMPI), and the High School Placement Test (HSPT) used by Catholic and private high schools since 1955.

Underlying the portfolio is a psychometric engine built on the Rasch Item-Response Theory one-parameter model, which produces a unified standard score scale from approximately 100 at kindergarten through 800 at grade 12, enabling longitudinal comparability. Proprietary scoring services generate Cognitive Skills Quotients (CSQ), thirteen creative strengths indicators, and Q-GE competency-based grade equivalents. Delivery is hybrid: paper test booklets administered in schools, plus online platforms (LSA for grades 3-8, QUIC, HSPT E-Score) supported by a centralized scoring operation.

STS operates a B2B sales-led go-to-market targeting K-12 schools and districts via a toll-free call center (1.800.642.6787), an e-commerce storefront at ststestingshop.secure-mall.com, and preview-sample demand generation. Revenue streams include one-time sales of test booklets and manuals (e.g., $76.50 KRT-3 starter set), per-student scoring fees (~$2.95 with a $25 minimum), lease/score programs for closed-form HSPT administration, and a usage-based recurring pricing layer for QUIC Online. Products are restricted to qualified test users with administrator-authorized purchase orders. Effective August 1, 2024, STS withdrew international research and reproduction permissions, narrowing commercial scope to the domestic US market. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors and 11-50 employees.

Name

Scholastic Testing Service

Legal name

Scholastic Testing Service, Inc.

Website

https://ststesting.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Assessment Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Standardized Test Prep & Practice Materials (EDAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assessment, Testing & Analytics Platforms (Formative/Summative) (EDAJAMAC), K–12 Standardized Assessments & Benchmark Exams Prep (State tests, MAP, ISEE/SSAT) (EDANABAD), Test Prep & Exam Readiness (K–12) (EDAJALAC)

Keywords

• Educational assessment publishing
• Standardized K-12 testing
• Gifted identification assessments
• Diagnostic reading mathematics
• Online learning standards testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bensenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Test Materials Sales: One-time sales of test booklets, answer sheets, administration manuals, and scoring manuals to schools and districts. Products sold in packages with minimum order quantities.
2. Scoring Services: Per-student scoring fees for processing and interpreting test results. Schools can choose STS scoring or local school scoring. Minimum scoring service charge of $25.00 applies.
3. Lease/Score Programs: Schools rent test booklets, manuals, and answer sheets along with purchasing standard scoring services on a per-student basis.
4. Online Testing Platform: Online assessment delivery with technical support and related testing materials included with purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Scholastic Testing Service develops, publishes, and administers standardized educational assessments for K-12 schools and districts, including readiness tests, achievement batteries, diagnostic reading and mathematics instruments, gifted identification tools, and online testing platforms. The company also provides per-student scoring services and lease/score programs that bundle test materials with interpretation. Products are restricted to qualified educational professionals and sold primarily to public and private schools in the United States.

Product overview

Scholastic Testing Service (STS) offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational and gifted assessments rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include achievement and readiness tests spanning early childhood (Preschool Progress Screening, Kindergarten Readiness Test) through K-12 (Diagnostic assessments in Reading and Math, Learning Standards Assessment), along with specialized products including the world-renowned Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) for gifted identification, the High School Placement Test (HSPT), and the Educational Development Series (EDSeries) battery. Products are available through multiple delivery methods including paper-based testing, online testing (LSA, QUIC Online, HSPT E-Score), and scoring services (local scoring, STS scoring). The portfolio includes both norm-referenced achievement measures and creative thinking assessments, with recent addition of the Kindergarten Success Indicator (KSI) replacing the School Readiness Test.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kindergarten Success Indicator (KSI) A norm-referenced achievement measure for end of kindergarten or beginning grade 1 that assesses academic skills in Reading, Mathematics, and Language, providing performance ratings of Developing, On-Track, and Advanced for each subtest and total score. Replaces the legacy School Readiness Test (SRT-4).
• Kindergarten Readiness Test (KRT-3) A readiness assessment for end of preschool or before the third full week of kindergarten that helps determine student needs by discovering which educational skills have been developed, measuring 8 subtests with an overall readiness score.
• Preschool Progress Screening (PPS) A brief developmental inventory for children aged 3-5 designed to report on developmental milestones, drive classroom instruction, and preliminarily identify children who may need additional support services.
• Learning Standards Assessment (LSA) A reliable online testing tool for grades 3-8 covering Math, Language Arts, and Science, allowing teachers to assess students in one, two, or three subtests with subtests completable in 30 minutes or less.
• Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) World-renowned tests assessing creative ability in students from kindergarten through adult, available in Figural and Verbal forms (Forms A and B) for pre- and post-testing to identify creatively gifted and talented students.
• High School Placement Test (HSPT) The first test battery designed specifically for selection and placement of students entering high school, providing measures in verbal, cognitive, reading, mathematics, and language skills since 1955. Available in Closed, Open, and Pre-HSPT versions.
• Educational Development Series (EDSeries) A standardized battery of ability and achievement tests for Kindergarten through Grade 12 with the most comprehensive coverage of all STS tests, permitting evaluation of students from the broadest possible perspective.
• Diagnostic Mathematics Assessment (DMA) A standardized diagnostic instrument for grades 1-3 designed to evaluate areas of strengths and weaknesses in mathematics, composed of five sections covering Number Sense, Algebra, Measurement, Statistics, and Mathematical Reasoning.
• Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA) A standardized diagnostic instrument for grade 1 designed to evaluate areas of strengths and weaknesses in reading, composed of 5 sections covering Word Analysis, Vocabulary, Comprehension, Language Arts, and Reference Skills.
• Quick Inventory of Competency (QUIC) A highly reliable assessment for grades 2-12 designed to quickly establish or verify functional level of proficiency in core areas of mathematics or communicative arts, with Q-GE competency-based grade equivalents. Available in online delivery.
• Kuhlmann-Anderson Tests (KA) Achievement, ability and readiness tests listed in the STS product index.
• Comprehensive Identification Process (CIP) Early childhood and special needs assessment process.
• Coping Inventory A measure of adaptive behavior with observation and self-rated forms for children and early childhood.
• School Readiness Test (SRT) A school readiness test being replaced by the new KSI; limited quantities still available.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Renaissance Learning: Provider of Star Assessments for reading and math across K-12. Competes with STS's DRA, DMA, LSA, and QUIC product lines on school-level formative and progress-monitoring purchases.
• Pro-Ed: Specialized publisher of educational and psychological assessments (e.g., D-KEFS, OWLS). Closely comparable mid-size assessment publisher with similar catalog breadth and K-12 school channel orientation.
• Western Psychological Services (WPS): Publisher of educational and psychological tests and assessments for K-12 and clinical markets. Comparable mid-sized assessment publisher with overlapping school-based product categories.
• Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR): Publisher of educational, psychological, and behavioral assessments sold to schools, psychologists, and counselors. Comparable to STS on cognitive/achievement testing catalog and school-channel distribution.
• NWEA: Non-profit provider of MAP Growth and MAP Reading Fluency K-12 interim and benchmark assessments. Competes head-to-head with STS's Learning Standards Assessment and Educational Development Series for school and district assessment budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Educational Testing Service (ETS): Major assessment organization operating SAT, GRE, and Praxis tests. Although primarily higher-education focused, ETS competes with STS in high school selection/placement (HSPT market) and ability/achievement testing.
• McGraw Hill (CTB): Publisher of TerraNova and CTB/McGraw-Hill assessments. Historically one of the largest norm-referenced K-12 battery publishers, broadly comparable to STS's EDSeries on summative district testing.
• Pearson Assessment: Large incumbent publisher of K-12 cognitive and ability assessments (e.g., WISC, WIAT, Q-global platform). Competes broadly with STS's cognitive and achievement batteries and online scoring services.
• Riverside Publishing (a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt company): Longstanding publisher of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Iowa Assessments. Overlaps with STS's norm-referenced K-12 batteries and competes for similar district-level norm-referenced purchasing.

Emerging players

• Curriculum Associates: Provider of i-Ready Diagnostic and instruction for K-12. A digitally native competitor in school-based screening and progress monitoring, putting pressure on legacy paper-based assessments like STS's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ststesting
• Xx.com/ststesting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scholastic Testing Service