General

System Administration

Technical and Legal Issues

Polaris Tests

Interviews

We are continuously expanding the list of Frequently Asked Questions posted on this site.

To that end, please send us any additional questions that you may have.

General

1. What job titles does Polaris have tests for, and at what levels?
   
   Polaris, utilizing its standard item clusters, can tailor tests to most K-12 jobs. Additionally, we offer stand-alone, fully developed/validated tests that eliminate the work required to produce and validate tests that are designed to meet special needs.
   
   Currently, Polaris offers the Job Fit Inventory for Teachers as a test that is immediately available for purchase. We have also developed the Job Fit Inventory for Support Staff which is currently undergoing validation and refinement. We anticipate offering a test focused on school Principal positions during 2009.
2. What type of front-end analysis needs to be conducted before implementing the tests?
   
   No front-end analyses are currently associated with our fully-developed Job Fit Inventory for Teachers. Such analyses may be associated with future offerings.
3. How much does it cost to implement the Polaris tests?
   
   Polaris has a number of pricing options. These are described in the Pricing section of this website. A key underlying competitive advantage of Polaris is our low overhead. It allows us to provide systems at prices that are usually less than half the prices of our major competitors. And our low price is provided without compromise on quality or effectiveness.
4. How quickly can we implement the Polaris system?
   
   As soon as you need it -- in many cases that means immediately. At the extreme end, within 2-3 months when tailored design and development is required. To be more specific regarding your circumstances, contact us.

System Administration

1. What test administration methods are available from Polaris?
   
   The primary methods consist of either web-based test administration and scoring/reporting (the preferred method) or paper-and-pencil administration with web-based scoring.

Technical and Legal Issues

1. Are Polaris tests validated?
   
   Polaris tests are always validated. The pre-developed tests have been validated in a manner that verifies that their scores have statistically-significant relationships with on-the-job performance prior to being offered. Specially-developed tests are validated in the districts for which they are developed.
2. Do Polaris tests meet Federal EEOC Guidelines for employment testing?
   
   All of the Polaris systems have been developed to meet both the Uniform Guidelines and professional testing standards.
3. We value diversity. Do the Polaris tests adversely impact minorities or females?
   
   The systems offered by Polaris emphasize the use of “least adverse” alternatives in screening and selection. We also work with organizations to choose methods for using the test information that optimize the prediction of performance and the ability to obtain a diverse workforce.

Polaris Tests

1. What makes a Polaris test better than its competitors’ tests?
   
   Three things: Flexibility, Quality and Price. Our item cluster approach provides districts with tests that are tailored to their jobs instead of a “one size fits all” mentality. Our rigorous validation research and approach to continuous improvement place our tests among the leaders in the K-12 selection world. (We would argue, with justification, that we are the leaders.) In addition, the flexibility and quality are provided at price points that are half or less then those of the competition.
   
   We think that combination is not just better -- we think it is the best.
2. Can we use one Polaris test for all of our positions? What about teaching aides?
   
   The Job Fit Inventory for Teachers has been validated for full-time teaching positions. While other positions (e.g., aides) may have elements in common with teaching positions, it is not appropriate to use this tool in those contexts. Polaris is strongly committed to the continuous improvement and development of its products. If there are needs in your district that do not appear to be satisfied by the published Polaris offerings, please contact us. Often, the development of specifically tailored tests is possible at a very reasonable cost. Additionally, Polaris has the ability to combine groups of districts that are interested in selection for specialized positions. This capability allows specialized tests to be developed economically by spreading the cost across multiple user districts.

Interviews

1. How is the Polaris interview system superior to other interview systems?
   
   The major advantage of the Polaris system is its “pass-through” option in which information from the testing stage is provided to interviewers. This allows interviewers to focus their time and questions more effectively on areas that have the greatest chance of “pay-off”. Additionally, the Polaris interview questions provide not only guidance on what to ask candidates but, also, what to listen for in the answers.
2. We have an interview system. Do we need to use the Polaris interview system?
   
   No, although the Polaris testing system can be used to complement almost any interview system. Additionally, the “pass-through” options can be added onto a very broad range of interview systems without altering the basic nature of the interviews being conducted.