CTB/McGraw-Hill's TerraNova Assessment Recognized by U.S. Department of Education Predictive Validity Research Study

CTB/McGraw-Hill announced today that its TerraNova™ family of assessments was highlighted in a U.S. Department of Education study as the only one of four benchmark assessments to demonstrate strong evidence that it was a valid tool in predicting student performance on statewide summative assessments.

The study, "The Predictive Validity of Selected Benchmark Assessments Used in the Mid-Atlantic Region,"* examined the availability and quality of predictive validity data for a selection of benchmark assessments identified by state and district personnel in use within Mid-Atlantic Region jurisdictions, specifically the benchmark assessments in use in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The research concluded that while three of the assessments showed some sort of documentation of criterion validity, "only one was truly a predictive study and demonstrated strong evidence of predictive validity (TerraNova)." To read the study in its entirety, visit www.ctb.com/predictivevalidity.

"This report is a clear affirmation of the extensive research we undertake at CTB/McGraw-Hill to ensure our assessment products provide educators with reliable tools to understand and evaluate student mastery of state standards," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "TerraNova fosters student achievement by enabling teachers to benchmark student performance and enhance classroom instruction to meet all students' learning needs."

The research study noted: "CTB/McGraw-Hill's TerraNova assessments had the most comprehensive documentation of the assessments reviewed for this study. In addition to a robust technical report of more than 600 pages, there was a teacher's guide and a research study linking the TerraNova assessment to the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments (PSSA) test."

  Among the highlights detailed in the study:

  -- The TerraNova technical report exhaustively detailed the extensive test
     development, standardization, and validation procedures undertaken to
     ensure a credible, reliable, and valid assessment instrument.
  -- A linking study provided clear and convincing evidence of predictive
     validity for the TerraNova Reading and Mathematics assessments in
     predicting student performance on the PSSA for Grades 5, 8, and 11.
  -- The teacher's guide detailed the assessment development procedure and
     provided information on assessment content, usage, and score
     interpretation for teachers.

CTB/McGraw-Hill recently released the newest version of this family of assessments, TerraNova, Third Edition (TerraNova 3). Now available with 2007 norms, TerraNova 3 gives educators a comprehensive tool to measure and monitor student progress relative to local, state, and national standards. Among its benefits, TerraNova 3 delivers actionable reporting information. By integrating assessment and reporting options, it translates data seamlessly into information that teachers and education leaders can use to improve instruction.

About TerraNova

TerraNova is a breakthrough assessment solution for Grades K-12 that measures student achievement relative to state standards and the National Association of Educational Progress frameworks. It is available in numerous options to suit district and diocesan needs including: Multiple Assessments, which combine multiple choice and constructed response items; Complete Battery with multiple choice items only; and Survey, a more streamlined version for use with limited testing time.

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 (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 www.CTB.com.

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

*Brown, R.S., & E. Coughlin. (2007). The predictive validity of selected benchmark assessments used in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Issues and Answers Report, REL 2007-No.017). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Education Laboratory Mid-Atlantic. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs

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SOURCE: CTB/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Kelley Carpenter
Director, Communications
McGraw-Hill Assessment and Reporting
+1-831-393-7196
kelley_carpenter@mcgraw-hill.com

Web site: http://www.ctb.com/
http://www.mheducation.com/
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs
http://www.ctb.com/predictivevalidity