CTB/McGraw-Hill to Support Indiana Students and Educators with Statewide Formative and Benchmark Assessment Program

CTB/McGraw-Hill, a national leader in PreK-12 and adult education assessment solutions, was selected by Indiana to provide a comprehensive formative and benchmark assessment system that will enhance classroom instruction and track student progress toward state standards in Grades 3-8. This formative, diagnostic and predictive program places Indiana at the forefront of a national model for assessment -- one that enables technology-enhanced, data-driven decision making so educators can clearly understand where students stand today and forecast their expected future performance.

In Fall 2008, Indiana educators will begin using the Acuity™ suite of breakthrough formative assessments to gain significant insight into students' progress toward meeting Indiana's Academic Standards. Under the two-year agreement with renewal options, Acuity will be available for voluntary use by Indiana districts to support student mastery of English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.

Students in Grades 3-8 will be eligible for the program, which can be administered either online or via paper and pencil. CTB/McGraw-Hill was also awarded the contract to provide the Indiana ISTEP+ statewide summative assessment program for Grades 3-8.

"The Acuity formative assessments will enable Indiana educators to gain a clear and precise picture of students' strengths and learning needs aligned directly to the Indiana Academic Standards," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "By offering both summative and formative assessments, Indiana is assisting students and their parents with a dynamic system that will provide year-round, consistent and continuous feedback to help students reach their learning goals."

Acuity's assessments are aligned to grade-level standards and are able to measure student growth within and across academic years. The predictive exams forecast expected student performance on state tests and diagnostic exams guide tailored interventions to help individuals and groups of students move forward on recently taught curriculum. Acuity's detailed reports provide diagnostic information to inform instruction in a clear, easy-to-understand format, and can be viewed at the student, class, school, and district level.

About Acuity

Acuity was developed in consultation with administrators, principals, teachers, and students. Acuity is a suite of diagnostic and predictive benchmark assessments designed to show student growth toward state standards and performance indicators in English/Language Arts and Mathematics for Grades 3-8, Algebra for Grades 6-12 and Science and Social Studies. Acuity features online and paper-and-pencil administration options to match the level of technology available in schools. Acuity reports provide useful and detailed data aligned to state standards and indicators that teachers can use to inform instruction and support student achievement. Online item banks aligned to state standards and indicators enable custom, teacher-created assessments to help students remain current on classroom instruction.

  For more information, call (800) 538-9547 or visit www.AcuityForSchool.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 division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). McGraw-Hill Education is a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. Additional information is available at www.ctb.com

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

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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.acuityforschool.com/