CTB/McGraw-Hill Awarded Nevada English Proficiency Program Featuring the New LAS Links™ for English Language Learners
PRNewswire
MONTEREY, Calif.
Aug 8, 2005
CTB/McGraw-Hill, the nation's leader in K-12 and adult education assessment solutions, today announced a three-year $3.3 million agreement with Nevada's school districts to implement the newly launched LAS Links™ as the state's English language proficiency assessment.
A committee composed of Title III Coordinators from Nevada's 17 school districts voted to select LAS Links as the assessment for the state's 80,000 limited English proficiency students. The Title III program was established under the No Child Left Behind legislation to equalize educational opportunities through a Federal assistance program. According to Steven Ross, Nevada's Title III Director, "Our districts were looking for an assessment that was neither too long nor too difficult to administer, that was cost-effective, and that ensured valid and reliable test results to support their English language instructional strategies. We used CTB/McGraw-Hill's original LAS® system as our previous proficiency test, which will enable teachers to make an easy transition to the new program."
Under the terms of the agreement, CTB/McGraw-Hill will publish and distribute the test materials, process and score tests, and manage the development and delivery of all score reports. CTB will provide instructional support through both onsite and online Scoring Training workshops during the three-year program.
"We are very pleased to have an opportunity to support Nevada's school districts and English language learners," said Mostafa Mehrabani, president of McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting. "The LAS Links product suite is the most comprehensive English Language Proficiency assessment available, and aligns assessment, instruction, and achievement goals in classrooms throughout the state."
About LAS Links Assessment and Instructional Tools
LAS Links is an integrated system of reliable, research-based assessments and instructional guidance for all English language learners. The system also provides compliance with NCLB Title III requirements. Features include:
* K-12 proficiency assessments for accurate placement/evaluation
* Benchmark assessments for ongoing progress monitoring
* Instructional guidance and staff development tools to help teachers use
test results to inform learning and address students' needs
The LAS Links system features complement any English language proficiency test a state or district chooses to administer.
The K-12 assessment uses a common vertical scale to measure the four NCLB domains of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, and incorporates realistic illustrations, contextualized reading passages, photographs, and culturally relevant test content to encourage students to do their best. Test formats include multiple-choice and performance-based questions that address a wide range of language skills. Test items include language from subjects such as math, science, technology, and social studies.
For additional information, call (800) 538-9547 or visit http://www.ctb.com/.
About CTB/McGraw-Hill
As the nation's leading publisher of standardized achievement tests for pre-school, elementary, middle, high school, and adult education, CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC offers a broad range of assessments, software and services. CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC is part of McGraw-Hill Education's Assessment and Reporting group, and is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies, a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education and BusinessWeek. Founded in 1888, the Corporation has more than 300 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion.
Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.
SOURCE: CTB/McGraw-Hill
CONTACT: Media Inquiries
Kelley Carpenter
Director, Public Relations
McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting
(831) 393-7196
kelley_carpenter@ctb.com