Learning.com begins spring assessment season with two major implementations

Portland, OR – January 20, 2009
Learning.com is testing more than 50,000 students in two major new assessment projects to help educators understand how well students grasp critical technology literacy skills. The latest projects are:

The Philadelphia School System is assessing all its 39,000 middle school (sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade) students as part of the first year of a three-year program to gather data on students’ technology proficiency.

The state of Rhode Island is testing its 14,000 eighth-grade students, also in the first year of a three year program to gather critical data on student skills.

Additionally, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction has completed a program to test both eighthgrade students and teachers’ technology proficiency using TechLiteracy Assessment.

Since its introduction in 2006, educators have administered more than 500,000 assessments using TechLiteracy Assessment. TechLiteracy Assessment already is used under state contracts in Arizona, Texas, South Dakota and Maryland.

The psychometrically valid TechLiteracy Assessment blends interactive, performance-based items and multiple choice questions to authentically assess students’ technology knowledge and skills. It is aligned to state technology standards, and to the national ISTE NETS-S standards.

“The data does more than help educators understand how well students are doing with technology. It also supports them to make adjustments to their curriculum, and improve how they teach and integrate technology skills into their curriculum,” says Learning.com CEO William J. Kelly.

TechLiteracy Assessment is designed to be given in just one class period to make it easy for teachers. It provides districts with a valid and accurate standard for technology literacy, and the data necessary to show progress toward accountability goals. It is the recipient of the prestigious Technology & Learning Award of Excellence and the 2007 SIIA CODiE Award.

About Learning.com
Founded in 1999, Learning.com helps educators improve student performance in core curriculum and 21st century skills through Web-delivered curriculum and assessment, in use by more than two million students. Our unique integration of technology literacy with core curriculum instruction enables states, districts and schools to simultaneously improve student proficiency in technology skills and core disciplines. Using our Digital Learning Environment, teachers easily customize curriculum, individualize instruction, and obtain professional development. Learning.com’s solutions include EasyTech, a proven, K-8 technology literacy curriculum that helps students develop and apply technology skills in math, science, language arts, and social studies; TechLiteracy Assessment, providing valid measurement and reports for critical technology skills and knowledge in K-8; 21st Century Skills Assessment, providing valid data aligned to ISTE NETS 2007 standards; Aha!Math, K-5 supplemental math curriculum that builds contextual understanding and conceptual fluency, and Aha!Science, supplemental science curriculum for grades 3-5 that helps students become science thinkers. Learning.com is a member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. For more information, please visit www.learning.com or call 800-580-4640.