CTB/McGraw-Hill Appoints Industry Veteran as Head of Research

CTB/McGraw-Hill today announced the appointment of Dr. Richard J. Patz as Vice President of Research.

Dr. Patz will lead the company's innovative, scientifically sound research agenda dedicated to supporting student achievement through testing programs, educational product development and intellectual assets. He has extensive industry technical and management experience and is highly regarded throughout the testing industry as an innovator, creative problem-solver, and technical expert.

"CTB/McGraw-Hill's products and programs are based on educational research conducted to the highest standards," said Dr. Mostafa Mehrabani, president, McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting. "Under Dr. Patz's leadership, CTB will continue to enhance our high-caliber assessment programs and drive our organizational effectiveness."

Dr. Patz has received a number of awards and grants, and he has led a number of federally funded research efforts tackling challenging issues in educational measurement, assessment and statistics. These include projects for the National Research Council Committees on Performance Levels in Adult Literacy and on Test Design for K-12 Science Achievement, and grants by the U.S. Department of Education for NAEP Secondary Analysis and NAEP Redesign research. He has authored numerous articles and chapters in leading publications, including the Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, the Handbook of Statistics, and Standard Setting: Concepts, Methods, and Perspectives. He has made numerous presentations to industry, government, and academic organizations in the United States and abroad.

"Research plays a fundamental role in ensuring the validity and reliability of CTB products and services, and CTB has a great tradition of innovation and technical quality that leads the industry and benefits learners of all ages," said Dr. Patz. CTB scientists have pioneered new and better ways to assess student achievement, including the establishment of the Bookmark Standard Setting Procedure, a groundbreaking process launched in 1996 to help states with their large-scale assessment programs. In addition, CTB pioneered the application of item response theory (IRT), the scaling of mixed-format tests, empirical methods for detecting and eliminating bias in tests, and inclusive approaches to test development and standardization for diverse populations that include students with disabilities.

With a staff of more than 70 research scientists, professionals and associates, CTB Research has extensive expertise in psychometric and statistical methods, educational measurement and research, large-scale assessment, computer-based testing, and assessment for learners with special needs and/or disabilities. Working with educators and researchers at universities, research organizations, and government agencies, CTB Research is committed to advancing the state-of-the-art in assessment methodology and practice.

Dr. Patz holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Grinnell College, and both a master's and doctoral degree in Statistics from Carnegie Mellon University. A former high school mathematics teacher, he has held visiting scholar appointments at Stanford University and the University of California Berkeley. Dr. Patz's career also encompasses a successful consulting business with a client base including government agencies, research organizations, academic institutions and test publishers.

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

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