Pilot program aimed at helping educators understand how well students are
mastering state standards
PORTLAND, Ore., June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas Education Agency
(TEA) has selected Learning.com to assess students' technology proficiency
in a two-year pilot program in a sampling of Texas school districts. The
state is using Learning.com's TechLiteracy Assessment, an authentic online
assessment that measures and reports students' technology proficiency.
Legislation requiring this pilot was passed by the 2007 Texas
Legislature. The pilot will assess students in participating school
districts in either fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth grades. Testing
began in April 2008, and will continue through December 2009. Some 7,200
students will be tested during the two-year pilot.
"We look forward to helping Texas assess their eighth grade students
through TechLiteracy Assessment," says William J. Kelly, Learning.com CEO.
"Understanding how well students grasp critical technology skills will help
Texas continue to be a national leader in teaching students how to excel in
technology."
The state defines a "technology literate student" as a student who
meets the requirements of the state's Technology Applications Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TA-TEKS). Texas, however, does not have a
standard statewide process for assessing students' mastery of technology
literacy to be reported to TEA. TechLiteracy Assessment provides the
participating schools, through this pilot, with that measurement tool to
help them understand how well students are mastering the mandated Texas
technology standards. TechLiteracy Assessment is aligned to both ISTE
NETS-S and Texas' technology standards.
TechLiteracy Assessment was introduced in 2006 by Learning.com to
provide a district-wide solution for measuring technology proficiency for
elementary and middle school students. Designed to be delivered in one
class period, it blends multiple choice questions and interactive,
performance-based items to authentically assess students' technology
knowledge and skills. The assessment helps districts meet federal and state
accountability requirements, pinpoint district and school technology
challenges that need addressing, and better understand teaching strategies
that support technology skill development.
The technology assessment has won the prestigious 2007 SIIA CoDIE Award
and the 2006 Technology & Learning Award of Excellence.
For more information go to
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/techlitassessment/index.html.
About Learning.com
Learning.com, the premier provider of Web-delivered curriculum and
assessment, partners with schools and districts to improve student learning
outcomes. The Portland, Ore.-based company transforms learning experiences
through its understanding of the art and science of Web-based teaching and
learning. Founded in 1999, it serves nearly two million students in schools
across the United States. Its award-winning solutions are EasyTech, a
proven, K-8 technology literacy curriculum that helps students develop and
apply technology skills in math, language arts, social studies and science;
TechLiteracy Assessment, an authentic technology proficiency assessment
that provides educators with the data to understand how well students grasp
foundational technology skills; and Aha!Math, an interactive K-5
supplemental math curriculum that supports teachers to improve students'
foundational math skills while developing their higher level
problem-solving and reasoning skills. For more information, please visit
http://www.learning.com or call 800-580-4640.
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