CTB/McGraw-Hill Launches LAS Links™ Espanol Assessment System
Measures Spanish Language Proficiency, Improves Performance
PRNewswire
MONTEREY, Calif.
Sep 20, 2006
CTB/McGraw-Hill, the nation's leading provider of PreK-12 and adult education assessment solutions, today announced the release of LAS Links Espanol, a comprehensive language assessment system for Spanish-speaking students that measures Spanish language proficiency, reveals student strengths as well as areas requiring improvement, and supports educators in developing effective Spanish language program curricula.
"The release of LAS Links Espanol represents our commitment to students of all languages, and supports our mission of helping educators remove language barriers that limit student achievement," said Mostafa Mehrabani, president, McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting. "This assessment system provides a true picture of Spanish language proficiency, and helps integrate the talents and skills of Spanish-speaking students into the classroom."
As the newest member of the LAS Links family of benchmark and summative assessments and instructional guidance tools, LAS Links Espanol is a research-based, diagnostic assessment system that surveys the language skills of Spanish-speaking students, deriving a comprehension score based on their listening and reading abilities. Teachers receive essential student performance information, which enables them to focus on individual student instruction and place students on the fast-track toward proficiency. LAS Links English is respected throughout the education community, and currently serves as the state English language proficiency assessment for Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, and Nevada.
LAS Links Espanol offers educators the following:
* Measurements of the listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of
Spanish-speaking students in Grades K-12
* Language skills assessments for both social and academic fields
* Comprehension scores based on a common scale that allows administrators
to measure student growth from year to year
* Assessments of the full range of student proficiency from Beginning to
Advanced
* Test items aligned with national Teachers of English to Speakers of
Other Languages (TESOL) standards and key state standards (TESOL is a
global professional association for English language educators involved
in the teaching of English as a second, foreign, or other language.)
LAS Links Espanol places students into one of five proficiency levels -- from Beginning to Above Proficient -- and provides scores that are comparable to LAS Links English. LAS Links Espanol enables teachers to create a full student language profile that can be directly used to develop bilingual or dual-language curricula. The tests also can be used to place students in and exit them from bilingual programs.
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 No Child Left Behind (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 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 engaging, 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. LAS Links supplements and enhances any language learning program, promotes language literacy, and helps each student succeed. LAS Links is a trademark of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.ctb.com/.
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: Media Inquiries:
Kelley Carpenter
Director, Communications
McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting
831.393.7196
kelley_carpenter@mcgraw-hill.com