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The PAES assessment

PAES does not test students with paper and pencil. Students work real jobs in a simulated workplace while trained supervisors watch and score what they see. Session by session, across five career areas, the evidence builds into a picture of what each student can really do.

Decisions you can stand behind

The PAES scoring framework is peer-reviewed. Swisher, Green and Tollefson presented the validation study at the 1999 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (ERIC ED431021). More than 35 years of classroom use since then have refined the program, the jobs, and the scoring.

81%

say PAES reveals strengths traditional assessment misses

90%

report improved student motivation

74%

trust PAES data for high-stakes decisions

75%

say PAES reduces subjectivity in decisions

86%

report students show increased transition readiness

35+

years of field refinement since 1989

What's scored

PAES captures evidence across four dimensions:

Technical skill determines whether the student can perform the task to standard.

Work behaviors include attention, persistence, on-task time, and transitions.

Interpersonal skills involve following instructions, working with others, and asking for help.

Independence refers to the levels of prompting, supervision, and self-direction required.

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How the assessment works

Five steps, repeated across the assessment cycle, each session adding to the picture.

PAES employees follow a structured routine in the lab

Students are introduced to the lab, the tools, and the expectations. They start with a baseline session to calibrate, no performance pressure, just orientation.

PAES employees attempt jobs in a structured progression

Students rotate through jobs in five career areas: business and marketing, computer and technology, construction and industrial, processing and production, and consumer and service. Jobs step up through six levels of difficulty, so every student starts where they can succeed and grows from there.

Supervisors follow scoring criteria on every job attempt

Supervisors score on specific, defined criteria. Not gut feel. Not a single number. Evidence of behavior, skill, and growth, observed in the moment and recorded precisely.

Data builds into an interest inventory, a strengths report and performance scores on every job

Each session adds to the picture. Students are seen in different tasks, on different days, in different conditions. Patterns emerge that a single paper test would never catch.

The report is generated

At the end of the cycle, the data becomes a clear report. Teachers use it to write Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, plan the move from school to work, and show families exactly what their student can do.
PAES is not a single test. It is structured observation that plays out over weeks, in a working lab, with real tasks and real equipment.

PAES is not a single test. It is a structured observation system that plays out over weeks or months — in a real working environment, using real tasks and real equipment.

Practical details

More questions about scheduling, class size, or space requirements?

Time commitment
A full PAES assessment cycle typically runs 12 to 16 weeks, with students in the lab for 2–4 sessions per week. Shorter cycles are available for summer programs, Pre-ETS short courses, and workforce assessment.
Who scores
PAES is designed for delivery by trained educator: a special education teacher, a career and technical education instructor, a transition specialist, or a vocational rehabilitation counselor. Training comes with every lab package.
Data generated
The report turns every bit of data collected  into something you can act on: clear strengths, growth areas, and next steps for each student.

See PAES in action.

Get in touch, request a site visit, or download a floor plan. We'll match you with a regional rep who knows your state.

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