CTB/McGraw-Hill Awarded Missouri Department of Education Contract for Statewide Assessment Program

CTB/McGraw-Hill, the nation's leader in K-12 and adult education assessment solutions, today announced an award from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to administer the statewide Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). The contract begins with the fall 2007 school term and includes five annual renewal options from 2008 through 2012.

Under the contract, the content areas and grade levels tested will include Communication Arts in Grades 3-8 and 11, Mathematics in Grades 3-8 and 10, and Science in Grades 5, 8, and 11. CTB will develop custom test questions, and administer, score, and provide summary reports for educators and administrators that present overall district and school performance level reports.

The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill, a recognized leader in educational assessment reporting, will develop highly customized, individual student reports for families throughout Missouri. These individualized reports present and explain each student's performance on the MAP and provide additional resources designed to help families support their children's academic performance. The reports include clear visual indicators and concise explanations of students' overall scores and performance levels, with additional layers of detailed information for each subject area tested.

"Missouri has maintained a productive relationship with CTB/McGraw-Hill for more than 10 years," said Stan Johnson, DESE's assistant commissioner for the Division of School Improvement. "The MAP program has been a DESE/CTB joint venture since its inception, and together we've developed a unique assessment program that not only meets No Child Left Behind standards but gives us valuable tools for improving student achievement."

The MAP is built upon the Missouri Show-Me Standards of education as blended with CTB's TerraNova® family of research-based assessments to create a custom test for Missouri students that is aligned with the state's achievement levels. CTB and the DESE have collaborated to continuously update the MAP to meet federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, the Missouri Show-Me Standards, as well as provide exemplary test and educational resources that extend beyond regulatory requirements.

"Our work with Missouri has allowed us to develop a unique and outstanding assessment program while helping the State meet education requirements in the era of NCLB," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "This program provides vital information on student learning, as well as professional development opportunities for teachers and educational support for families."

Test items are the foundation of assessment programs, and DESE and CTB have developed a unique system for creating high quality material. CTB will hold workshops with DESE and Missouri teachers to create a test item pool, drawing on the collective knowledge of experienced teachers to write test items that provide targeted feedback to educators. The test item workshops, and subsequent field testing, are also used to provide professional development for Missouri educators.

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. Additional information is available at http://www.ctb.com/ and http://www.mheducation.com/.

About The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill

Established in March 2000, The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill has 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. Additional information is available at http://info.grow.net/.

CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC and The Grow Network/McGraw-Hill are part of the Assessment and Reporting group of McGraw-Hill Education (MHE), a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). MHE is a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 40 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

SOURCE: CTB/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Media Inquiries:
Kelley Carpenter
Director, Communications
(831) 393 - 7196
kelley_carpenter@mcgraw-hill.com

Web site: http://www.ctb.com/
http://www.mheducation.com/
http://info.grow.net/