CTB/McGraw-Hill to Present at 2011 Innovations in Testing Conference

MONTEREY, Calif., Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CTB/McGraw-Hill, a leading provider of PreK-12 and adult education assessments, today announced that company experts will present four sessions at the 12th Annual Innovations in Testing Conference. Produced by the Association of Test Publishers (ATP), the Conference features an exciting and informative program to facilitate the exchange of ideas, best practices, research, and applications for the educational assessment community. The Conference is being held at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, February 27 through March 2.

The Innovations in Testing Conference offers the breadth and depth of content that professionals need to remain current with the rapidly evolving assessment industry. Workshops, keynote addresses, and information-filled breakout and poster sessions give attendees a wide variety of networking and professional development opportunities.

Conference sessions to be presented by CTB research staff and McGraw-Hill Education's Public & Government Affairs' vice president will feature key initiatives that are shaping the future of assessment:

    1.     Elements of Adaptive Testing
            Wim van der Linden, Chief Research Scientist, CTB/
            McGraw-Hill
            Co-Presenter: Cees Glas, Professor, University of
            Twente
           Monday, February 28, 2:45-3:45 p.m.
            This presentation gives substantive perspectives on
            the elements of adaptive testing.

            Innovative Methods to Detect Cheating in Large-
    2.      Scale Assessment Programs
           Karla Egan, Research Scientist, CTB/McGraw-Hill
            Gary Schaeffer, Senior Director of Psychometric
            Services, CTB/McGraw-Hill
           Jessayn Smith, Research Scientist, CTB/McGraw-Hill
           Monday, February 28, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
            The purpose of this session is to address recent
            innovations in cheating analyses and compare them
            to the more widely used erasures analyses.

            Educational Reforms, International Education and
    3.      Assessments in China
           Xinhui Xiong, Research Scientist, CTB/McGraw-Hill
           Monday, February 28, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
            The goal of this presentation is to show how
            American educators and test publishers can learn,
            cooperate, improve and benefit from the world's
            two largest educational systems.

            Crystal Ball Revisited-Federal Education Update and
    4.      Prospects
            Larry Snowhite, Vice President, Public and
            Government Affairs, McGraw-Hill Education
            Co-Presenter: Alan Thiemann, Principal - Law
            Office of Alan J. Thiemann
           Tuesday, March 1, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
            Presenters will give an overview of recent federal
            legislative and administrative actions and
            prospects, state initiatives, and their influence
            on the education testing industry and our
            customers.

CTB's Research department includes 50 Ph.D.-level experts committed to developing and publishing assessments that serve the needs of every educator and student. Sound policies, procedures, and standards ensure a high degree of validity and reliability for every assessment that the company develops. CTB adheres to the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing defined by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME); NCME's Code of Professional Responsibilities in Educational Measurement; and the Joint Committee on Testing Practices' (JCTP) Code of Fair Testing Practices.

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 interim and 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.

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