The bookmark method is a standard setting method used to establish one or more cut scores associated with interpretable levels of performance on an assessment. In 1995, Daniel Lewis and Howard Mitzel developed the bookmark method that became widely used in the 2000s, with a majority of states employing it to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (in particular, requirements associated with reporting test results in terms of achievement levels). This entry describes the technical foundations of the bookmark method and how it uniquely executes activities common to many standard setting procedures.

Standard setting is necessary to systematically set one or more cut scores that separate a test scale into two or more categorical levels of achievement such as “failing” and “passing.” ...