Study Documents Effectiveness of CTB/McGraw Hill's Acuity Assessment in Bayless, Missouri Schools

MONTEREY, Calif., Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CTB/McGraw-Hill, a leading provider of PreK-12 and adult education assessments, today announced the results of a study documenting the effectiveness of the company's Acuity® InFormative Assessment™ solution. The Bayless School District, in St. Louis County, Missouri, implemented Acuity to support student achievement on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). Using data generated by the Acuity Predictive Assessments, which accurately predicts student performance on the MAP, teachers developed instructional plans to focus on areas needing improvement.

By incorporating Acuity, the Bayless School District achieved significant advances in student performance in Grades 3-8. The number of students performing in the top 50 percent at Tiers 3 and 4 on the Predictive Assessments increased, while the number of students performing in the bottom 50 percent at Tiers 1 and 2 decreased. The complete case study can be viewed at CTB.com/CaseStudies/Bayless.

"We needed an affordable, online solution that would help us predict how students would perform on our state assessment," said Stephanie True, literacy coordinator for the Bayless School District. "CTB's Acuity Predictive Assessment met our needs perfectly."

The Bayless School District is Missouri's most culturally diverse district. Approximately 40 percent of students are English language learners (ELL), and more than 25 languages are spoken. The MAP, required of all students in Grades 3-8, is a critical part of the curriculum - it is the primary gauge of student performance, and is used to determine Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in communications arts, mathematics, and science.

"Acuity guides us in making instructional decisions," said True. "Teachers use Acuity to identify student strengths and areas of need, so they can hone in on areas where students are experiencing difficulty. Teachers also use Acuity data, along with MAP data from the previous year, to write class and grade level goals in communication arts and math."

"This year we implemented Acuity Algebra and experienced a leap in our algebra end-of-course scores - students scoring at the proficient and advanced levels increased from 12 percent to 43 percent," added Stephanie True. "Many factors influence test scores, but we attribute the majority of our success to the pre and post measurements provided by Acuity. These measurements helped us monitor our students' progress, and target instruction to improve student performance."

Other districts in Missouri are also reporting improvements in MAP scores of 5 -10% over the 2009-2010 school year, with some schools showing even greater progress. More than 50 districts in Missouri have adopted Acuity to accelerate student achievement and growth on the MAP. Known for its valid and reliable predictive and diagnostic assessments, ability to track and forecast growth, detailed reporting, and resources for individual instruction and intervention, Acuity has become the foundation for driving the growth required of districts.

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

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