The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill Partners in Groundbreaking Reporting System

An innovative reporting system, the FCAT Parent Network, recently gave approximately 1.8 million Florida students online access to their 2006 test scores for the reading and mathematics Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This was the first time the Florida Department of Education provided such a groundbreaking new system through a contract with CTB/McGraw-Hill and The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill. This achievement represents an ongoing effort to deliver optimum educational resources that help parents, students, teachers and administrators meet their student achievement goals.

"Getting results in the hands of parents and students is key. By releasing these score results online and providing resources to interpret the results, the FCAT Parent Network enables parents to make more informed decisions about their children's education at the earliest possible point, and identify the support needed to enhance student performance in the classroom," said Hanna Skandera, Florida Department of Education Deputy Commissioner of Accountability, Research and Measurement.

"We have enjoyed working with the Florida Department of Education to develop new approaches to reporting FCAT results to all audiences. By providing Florida parents with immediate access to their children's assessment results, the FCAT Parent Network represents an important milestone in our nationwide effort to engage families around their children's academic growth," said David Coleman, chief executive officer, The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill.

Since the Parent Network launched in May, there have been over 2.1 million visits to the web site and over 61 million successful hits to the site.

Families are able to access scores by using secure log-ins and passwords distributed by the students' schools. The website's public pages contain links to resources as well as Frequently Asked Questions and navigational support in English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole. The website's private pages present parents with their children's overall scores, as well as links to download copies of individual student reports. The site employs 128-bit encryption, the industry standard used by banks and e-commerce sites, to secure student data.

The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill, a leader in educational reporting, also produces the FCAT paper student reports. The Parent Network highlights the company's aptitude in combining design and pedagogical principles with innovative technology to deliver meaningful data to students, parents and educators. The Grow Network's innovative reporting system is especially well-suited to support Florida's commitment to educational excellence, and provides clarity on the meaning of scores, recommended actions to support improved performance in the classroom, rapid report delivery, security of test data, and access to available resources.

About The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill

Established in March 2000, The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill has quickly become a nationally recognized leader in educational assessment reporting. The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill's innovative patent-pending system offers dynamic reports and differentiated learning tools in print and online for families, teachers, and educational leaders. As part of McGraw-Hill Education's Assessment and Reporting Group, The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), 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, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6 billion.

Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

SOURCE: The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Kelley Carpenter,
Director, Communications
McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting,
+1-831-393-7196

Web site: http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/