CTB/McGraw-Hill Launches Leadership Series Presentations

Assessment leader CTB/McGraw- Hill brings the solutions-oriented thinking of recognized education authorities to audiences in cities nationwide this month to discuss key education topics through its newly launched Leadership Series presentations. These presentations are part of an annual series created to identify and address areas considered critical in today's education environment.

This year's series is focused on English language proficiency, adult education, and student progress in Mathematics, the recent developments and challenges in those areas, and methods of using diagnostic information obtained from assessments to enhance instructional programs and education policies.

"The CTB/McGraw-Hill Leadership Series provides a valuable forum for discussion and the creation of solutions for today's high-priority education topics," said Mostafa Mehrabani, president of McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting. "We have brought together leading independent experts to provide perspective and insights on three key topics, and present dynamic ways to address challenges and support educational growth for learners of all ages living and working in a global economy."

The Leadership Series 2006 presentations include:

"New Tools and Instructional Strategies to Accelerate Growth in English Language Proficiency"

Dr. Bill Rojas presents best practices to increase student achievement and English proficiency within multiple-language academic communities. His presentation will include discussion of social as well as academic language skills, as well as an overview of assessment practices and tools that enable educators to address all English language learners' needs.

"Meeting the Changing Needs of the Adult Education Population"

Adult education experts Noreen Lopez and Shirley Velasco review adult education industry trends and discuss specific challenges in adult education, such as the diversity and transience of the adult education student population. The presenters will also focus on the latest best practices to effectively address those trends, and how advancements in assessment can help adult students meet specific goals.

"Improving Student Participation in Mathematics - The Gateway to Higher Education"

Sharon Lewis and Dr. Charity Smith will present the latest findings in Mathematics education. Although it is recognized that a command of Mathematics is essential for success in higher education and foundational concepts should begin in the earliest grades, recent National Assessment of Educational Progress data indicates that achievement gaps in Mathematics do exist. The presenters will provide an overview of how advancements in assessment can help teachers improve their students' Mathematics performance in all grades, creating a strong foundation for success in higher education, and highlight strategies for encouraging greater student participation in and retention of Mathematics instruction.

  About the Speakers

  *  Sharon Lewis is the Executive Director of the Good Schools Resource
     Center, an initiative of the Skillman Foundation to improve the lives
     of Detroit children through good schools. She has also worked for 30
     years in the Detroit Public Schools and served as its Assistant
     Superintendent for Research and School Reform. She served as the
     Research Director of The Council of the Great City Schools for eight
     years, responsible for creating and maintaining a district database for
     use in improving the quality of education in the nation's urban
     districts.

  *  Noreen Lopez is an education consultant specializing in adult education
     technology and public policy. She has held numerous positions in state
     and national adult education professional organizations and advisory
     groups, including the National Institute for Literacy, National Center
     for Adult Literacy, and the National Education Goals Panel. She
     currently serves as the Public Policy Chairperson for the National
     Coalition for Literacy.

  *  Dr. Waldemar "Bill" Rojas' career includes more than 35 years of
     educational leadership. He was the Superintendent of San Francisco
     Unified School District, responsible for increasing student achievement
     for seven successive years, and held several positions in New York City
     Public Schools for more than 25 years, including Superintendent of
     Citywide Programs and Executive Director of Special Education.
     Currently, Dr. Rojas provides education consultation for school
     districts and corporations throughout the United States.

  *  Dr. Charity Smith serves as the Director for Public School Academic
     Accountability for the Arkansas Department of Education, where she is
     responsible for the state's Annual School Performance Report, the
     Rating System, longitudinal tracking, trend data collection, and
     coordinating the implementation and administration of value-added
     assessments. She helps to ensure that all school districts throughout
     the state are held accountable for improving student achievement. Dr.
     Smith specializes in administration and supervision of curriculum and
     achievement.

  *  Shirley Velasco is assistant principal at Miami Palmetto Adult and
     Community Education Center in Miami, Florida. An adult education and
     English as a Second Language (ESL) professional for over 24 years, she
     co-authored a widely used adult ESL program that helps teachers
     implement state and national standards for adult education and English
     proficiency.

In K-12 education, CTB/McGraw-Hill serves more than 18 million students annually in 8,700 school districts in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia and the worldwide U.S. Department of Defense system. In adult education, CTB/McGraw-Hill currently provides test results for more than 4 million adult students nationally and provides the education assessment for the nation's largest correctional systems.

About CTB/McGraw-Hill

As the nation's leading publisher of standardized and standards-based 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 the Assessment and Reporting group of McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

SOURCE: CTB/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Kelley Carpenter
Director, Communications
McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting
831.393.7196
kelley_carpenter@ctb.com

Web site: http://www.mheducation.com/