Research Demonstrates Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment Promotes Student Achievement

A new white paper highlights the benefits of technology-enhanced formative and interim assessments, including CTB/McGraw-Hill's Acuity™ suite of assessments, in supporting student achievement.

Released by CTB/McGraw-Hill, the white paper "Promoting Student Achievement Using Research-Based Assessment with Formative Benefits," delves into several independent research studies to demonstrate that technology- enhanced formative assessment is a practical, powerful solution that supports educators in their efforts to accelerate student performance and meet achievement goals. In fact, research highlighted in the white paper showed that formative assessment can accelerate learning among all students, including low-performing students, helping to close achievement gaps and improve overall performance in schools and districts. A copy of the white paper can be downloaded at www.AcuityForSchool.com.

"This paper provides a concise summary of the research showing the advantages of using interim and formative assessment programs, such as Acuity," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "Acuity was designed by a team of respected researchers and educators to maximize the benefits of modern technology to enhance student achievement, and produce a state-of-the- art solution that removes the limitations of traditional assessment methods."

Historically, formative assessment required a time-intensive process of collecting observations, data, and other classroom-based measurements to support targeted instruction. Today's technology-enhanced assessment empowers teachers and classrooms by providing a systemized, uniform way to present, analyze, and communicate student results. Acuity, a comprehensive technology- based assessment solution, supports student learning by moving beyond traditional assessments to help educators quickly make important decisions regarding school- and district-wide student achievement.

"Our district has begun using Acuity to help support our teachers and administrators. We were surprised at how easy it was to assess approximately 9,000 students in both ELA and Math, and we all were amazed at the instant assessment reports that Acuity generated," said Kelly Malone, Data, Assessment and Reporting Specialist, Syracuse City School District in New York. "Also, the support we have received is wonderful. CTB responds immediately to our questions, and has worked with us to adapt Acuity to our needs as a district."

Overall, quality technology-based interim and formative assessments should include the following features:

  -- An easy-to-use, readily accessible platform for delivering assessments
     and communicating results
  -- Instructional resources to enable teachers to reinforce concepts and
     provide opportunities for intervention
  -- Alignment to state, district, or other local standards, to provide the
     right framework to monitor student progress
  -- Timely tracking of student progress before critical high-stakes state
     assessments are administered
  -- Data that can immediately be acted upon to affect student progress
     toward achievement
  -- Support for customization and training
  -- Flexible tools that can accommodate and integrate with the disparate
     technological resources of existing levels of technology in classrooms,
     schools, and districts

Acuity is an example of one of today's highest-quality solutions for promoting student success with robust, technology-enabled interim and formative assessments. Acuity embodies a new generation of comprehensive assessment programs that is changing the way educators perceive assessment -- a critical learning and teaching tool. Acuity contains all four elements of a comprehensive formative assessment: ongoing measurement, in-depth reporting, analysis of performance data, and resources for targeted instruction. Further, Acuity meets the demands of many interim assessment programs.

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, Mathematics, and Science for Grades 3-8, and Algebra for Grades 6-12. 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. More information is available at 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
  McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting
  (831) 393-7196
  kelley_carpenter@mcgraw-hill.com

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SOURCE: CTB/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Kelley Carpenter
Director, Communications
McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting
(831) 393-7196
kelley_carpenter@mcgraw-hill.com

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