CTB/McGraw-Hill Releases Online Professional Development Library for Acuity Assessment

MONTEREY, Calif., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- CTB/McGraw-Hill, a leading provider of PreK–12 and adult education assessments, announced today the release of Acuity PhD™, a new on-demand professional development library to support the Company's Acuity® InFormative Assessment™ solution. Developed by educators, for educators, Acuity PhD is an innovative collection of online professional development courses for teachers, assessment coordinators, and administrators.

By leveraging technology to make professional learning more accessible and efficient, Acuity PhD provides a more flexible and convenient way to conduct training. Courses focus on using Acuity assessment results to deliver targeted instruction and improve student achievement. Available 24/7, Acuity PhD features engaging content, with one- to two-hour courses targeted to specific educator roles. With Acuity PhD, educators can monitor their own understanding of Acuity, and learn how to use Acuity data to accurately inform instruction and decision making.

"Acuity PhD provides educators with focused expertise to improve student achievement, by combining proven best practices with Acuity assessment results," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "The online, on-demand format is what today's busy educators need to make the most efficient use of their time, and get the best results from assessment data."

Acuity PhD is based on proven best practices from educators, with demonstrated success improving student outcomes using Acuity data. Video content is based on current industry research, and provides a clear and convenient means for educators to get answers to assessment questions immediately—anytime, anywhere.

Features of Acuity PhD include:

• A high-quality professional development program, written by educators, for educators
• Engaging video and detailed tracking and performance reporting for easy, at-a-glance, self-assessment
• Web-based, all-inclusive site license provides unlimited, anytime/anywhere access
• Flexible levels of training for different roles

Demonstrations of Acuity PhD will be conducted at ISTE 2010, to be held at the Denver Convention Center on June 27-30, 2010. CTB is proud to be a Tier 3 sponsor of ISTE, and will be exhibiting in Booth #610. Private briefings will be held in the Korbel Ballroom #4B, located on the lower level. To schedule a private briefing, contact Brandon Engle, Communications Manager, CTB/McGraw-Hill, at 916.933.1291 or [email protected].

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. Acuity won the CODiE award in 2009 and 2010 for Best Student Assessment Solution and is recognized by Outsell Research as a "rising star" in their 2009 K-12 Testing and Assessment Review. 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 84-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.

SOURCE CTB/McGraw-Hill