Chapel Hill Adopts Scantron Achievement Series
##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->
2/20/2007—Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) in North Carolina has adopted Scantron's Achievement Series (AS) assessment tools. The district will use AS for standards-based formative testing in 15 schools, covering grades 3 through 12.
AS is a testing platform that allows educators to score and analyze tests in real time and use data to "diagnose student needs and make informed instructional decisions to improve student achievement," according to Scantron.
"To be successful at closing the achievement gap and raising achievement for all students, school systems need to have an efficient method for conducting formative assessment. We were looking for an online tool that would allow us to do common assessments so we can monitor student progress throughout the school year and guide instruction in preparation for high stakes tests," said Diane Villwock, director of testing and program evaluation for CHCCS, in a prepared statement. "We chose Achievement Series because it met these needs, and more."
She continued: "With Achievement Series, we're providing teachers with a comprehensive tool that will enable them to carry out the work of their Professional Learning Communities in an efficient way. We believe that formative assessment is critical to keeping students on a path toward success. Conducting common assessments at regular intervals will give us the timely information we need to identify students' strengths and needs, intervene and adjust instruction. Rather than giving teachers something 'extra' to do, this is a tool will help make the work they're already doing in their Professional Learning Communities more effective."
CHCCS serves more than 11,000 students in 19 schools in North Carolina, including nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools, in addition to alternative and special-purpose schools.
More info:
:: READ MORE DAILY NEWS ::
About the author: Dave Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's educational technology online publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at [email protected].
Have any additional questions? Want to share your story? Want to pass along a news tip? Contact Dave Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].