McGraw-Hill Makes Digital Waves at International Education Technology Conference

SAN DIEGO, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- (ISTE Booths #4013 and #3913) -- This week at the International Society of Technology in Education's (ISTE) annual conference, McGraw-Hill Education and K–12 educators from across the country are gathering to explore how the latest digital education technology can help students succeed by providing the type of engaging, personalized learning experiences that meet the needs of 21st century learners. At this year's conference, McGraw-Hill is showcasing a number of new digital solutions that facilitate personalized learning, promote college and career readiness, address assessments in the digital age and help schools meet pressing challenges, such as the transition to the new Common Core State Standards.

Programs on display at McGraw-Hill School Education's booth (#4013) include:

• CINCH Learning: CINCH Learning is a cloud-based platform for math and science (Grades 6-12) that students can access on any tablet, computer or mobile device. The program was launched nationally following a highly successful implementation in several states. It features virtual labs, personal tutors, apps, games and real-time chat capabilities, providing instructors a number of innovative ways to engage students. The program, which includes customizable online assessments, is correlated to individual state standards as well as the Common Core State Standards. It is fully customizable from the district level to the teacher level.
  This summer's launch of CINCH Learning features significant enhancements, including content from McGraw-Hill's middle school math and science programs, as well as Algebra 1 and 2, geometry, biology, chemistry, physical science, earth science and physics programs.

• ONboard™ Series for Advanced Placement*: This first-of-its-kind, all-digital AP Preparation solution is designed to improve students' performance in AP* classes by developing the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the course and beyond on the AP exam. All seven ONboard courses include a series of interactive online modules that provide students with multiple ways to master content and improve preparedness. ONboard allows students to learn at their own pace and revisit challenging topics and concepts to prepare them to make relevant content connections to their AP coursework. The program is available to schools via subscription; however, parents can also purchase the program for their children enrolled in AP courses.

• Reading Labs 2.0: An upgrade of the classic print program from SRA/McGraw-Hill, Reading Labs 2.0 is an all-digital, interactive, student-led supplemental reading program for Grades K–12 that is personalized to meet the needs of students at various reading levels. The program, which reinforces specific skills in which students show a weakness, adapts to students' personal reading preferences and encourages students to learn at their own pace before, during, and after school. Promoting independence, Reading Labs 2.0 engages students' interest with community, reward and game features. Online assessments track and measure progress, and reading selections gradually increase (or decrease) in complexity to keep student challenged and/or supported. Reading Labs 2.0 is built on the Common Core State Standards. It is accessible from any tablet, computer or mobile device.

"The ISTE conference affords us an incredible opportunity to more closely connect with educators to discuss the power of digital technology in the classroom and to showcase our digital programs, which provide an extremely effective and engaging learning experience for today's students," said Dan Caton, president of McGraw-Hill School Education. "Part of the value we bring is to help teachers enhance and tailor their instruction. We see technology – particularly personalized and customizable learning technology – as one the most effective ways to increase student achievement in today's classrooms."

CTB/McGraw-Hill – one of the country's leading educational assessment partners – will be highlighting many digital solutions at booth #3913. Among them are:

• BrainPOP®/Acuity® Integration: To deliver a more personalized and engaging learning experience for K-8 students, CTB has collaborated with BrainPOP, creator of award-winning animated educational resources. These resources have been incorporated with CTB's Acuity InFormative Assessment™ solution. Through the collaboration, educators are able to use students' Acuity assessment results to assign BrainPOP instructional resources that are targeted to students' individual learning needs. BrainPOP's animated movies and quizzes alongside Acuity's existing instructional resources blend supplemental instruction and practice assessment questions to provide educators with deep insight into a student's knowledge or skills. This enables CTB to provide an instructional experience that not only deeply engages students but gives teachers more insight to help them personalize and enhance their instruction based on each student's needs.

• TerraNova™ Common Core, Form 2: Launching nationally is a second form for TerraNova Common Core, the only national achievement test for Grades 3–8 that is also a field-tested, valid, and authentic measure of the Common Core State Standards. CTB now offers two parallel forms that enable educators to effectively measure student progress toward the new standards.
  TerraNova Common Core, Form 2 features newly created test items to measure the higher-order thinking skills and increased depth of knowledge promoted by the Common Core State Standards. TerraNova Common Core, Form 2 maintains the same high quality, validity, and innovation of TerraNova Common Core, Form 1. With constructed-response and performance task items, Form 2 helps educators assess student knowledge and skills in two new subject areas – science and social studies – as well as in reading, English language arts, and mathematics, which are included in Form 1.

"As we move toward a new era in education driven by the Common Core State Standards, the role of assessments in measuring student achievement has become more important than ever. We have found that digital assessments, with their unmatched flexibility and reporting capabilities, have become particularly helpful to educators as they transition to the new standards and strive to personalize instruction in the classroom," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill, which was recently selected by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium to help develop the next generation of assessments.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PreK–12 and teacher education. The organization represents more than 100,000 professionals worldwide. For more than three decades, ISTE's annual conference has been the world's premier educational technology event, featuring hands-on workshops, lecture-format and interactive concurrent sessions and discussions with industry leaders.

McGraw-Hill Education's presence at ISTE's 2012 convention includes product demonstrations, workshops and presentations by a variety of experts and authors. Conference attendees who visit both booths to experience programs on display will have an opportunity to enter a drawing to win an iPad. Additionally, CINCH Learning will be featured in the Intel Emerging Technology Hands-On Lab (Room 23C), "Sneak Peak @ the Future." Through this special exhibition, Intel is inviting conference attendees to engage with some of the newest education technologies and participate in a treasure-hunt style experience for a chance to win an Intel Ultrabook™. Attendees can register here: http://www.tinyurl.com/IntelISTE.

McGraw-Hill Education will be posting live tweets throughout the conference (#ISTE12) from the company's Twitter account, @MHEducation, and from June 25-27, several apps will be made free for download at: Mheonline.com/iste.

*Advanced Placement Program and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these products.

About McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill Education is a content, software and services-based education company that draws on its more than 100 years of educational expertise to offer solutions, which improve learning outcomes around the world. McGraw-Hill is the adaptive education technology leader with the vision for creating a highly personalized learning experience that prepares students of all ages for the world that awaits. The company has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 65 languages. For additional information, visit http://www.mheducation.com/.

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 49 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 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/AboutUs.

Contact:
Tom Stanton
212-904-3214
[email protected]

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education