CTB/McGraw-Hill's Acuity Assessment Named a Tech & Learning Magazine Awards of Excellence Winner

MONTEREY, Calif., Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CTB/McGraw-Hill's Acuity® InFormative Assessment™ solution has been designated a winner of Tech & Learning Magazine's 2010 Awards of Excellence. The prestigious 28 year-old awards program recognizes outstanding educational technology, including innovative applications and significant enhancements to proven educational tools. Acuity was selected by a panel of more than 30 educators, who tested more than 140 entries. Detailed descriptions and judges' comments are featured in the December 2010 Awards Issue of Tech & Learning Magazine.

"Now that the use of technology in schools is no longer a novelty but a reality, it's no longer about the promise of what a product can do; it's about the proof," says Kevin Hogan, editorial director for NewBay Media's Tech & Learning Group. "This year's Awards of Excellence products were tested by edtech experts from the New York City Department of Education and the University of Michigan, our top Tech & Learning advisors, and more. These companies can be proud that their products were selected as winners by this prestigious team of judges."

Acuity was named a winner in the category of Best Upgraded Product, for new applications of educational technology that make significant enhancements to existing products. CTB added several new features to Acuity in 2010, including:

    --  Auto Assign - Automatically assigns instructional resources to students
        based on their Acuity Assessment results.
    --  Self-Service Roster - Multiple enhancements to self-service rosters make
        managing student information more efficient, and keep Acuity
        synchronized with student populations.
    --  Custom Test Builder - Several enhancements provide greater flexibility
        in creating custom assessments.
    --  Embedded Video Tutorials - Provide direct access from the Acuity Menu to
        online "how-to" videos.
    --  Acuity PhD™ - Online professional development library with one- to
        two-hour courses targeted to specific educator roles.
    --  Acuity Online Community - Web-based forum allows users of Acuity to
        collaborate and exchange ideas.
    --  Data Extract - Adds the ability to extract the results of student
        assessments for additional analysis and for loading into longitudinal
        data warehouses.
    --  Instructional Resource Report - Generates reports of the results of an
        entire class's performance on Acuity's embedded instructional resources.

"We are proud to receive Tech & Learning's acknowledgment of our continuing advancement of assessment technology," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "Our regular upgrades to Acuity assure educators that we are providing them with the best available technology, tailored to their needs, so that they can deliver the most effective educational solutions to their students."

About Acuity

The groundbreaking Acuity InFormative Assessment solution helps teachers gauge student performance and deliver tailored instruction for every student. Used by more than 65,000 teachers and 1.5 million students nationwide, Acuity heralds a new generation of assessment, enabling educators to deliver true data-driven instruction. Acuity contains four elements of a comprehensive assessment system: ongoing skills measurement, in-depth reporting, data analysis, and resources for individual instruction and intervention. CTB/McGraw-Hill also offers comprehensive professional development, online community forums, implementation, and support services. In 2010, Acuity swept three industry-leading awards to become the premier interim/formative assessment solution available to schools today. For more information, visit AcuityforSchool.com or call 800.538.9547 to schedule a live presentation.

About CTB/McGraw-Hill

CTB/McGraw-Hill has an 85-year record of innovation and excellence in assessment, and serves more than 18 million students in all 50 states and in 46 countries. One of the first American publishers to introduce objective, standardized achievement tests to schools, today CTB/McGraw-Hill is a leader in testing with recognized products for online formative, adult, and language proficiency assessment. Dedicated to advancing the use of student performance data to inform instructional decision making, CTB/McGraw-Hill's innovation continues today with technologies that include Web-based assessment and reporting, student response device (clicker) software, and artificial intelligence for automated scoring of student essays. CTB/McGraw-Hill is part 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. For more information, visit CTB.com.

    Media Inquiries
    Brandon Engle
    Communications Manager
    Phone: 916.933.1291
    Brandon_Engle@ctb.com

SOURCE CTB/McGraw-Hill

SOURCE: CTB/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Brandon Engle, Communications Manager, +1-916-933-1291, Brandon_Engle@ctb.com

Web Site: http://www.ctb.com