CEO of Curriculum Associates Speaks Out on Debate Over Measuring Teacher and Student Performance

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to the increasing debate about how student and teacher performance should be measured and what the outcomes of those measurements should mean—for individual students, teachers, and schools, as well as the future of education in this country—Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates, LLC, made the following statement:

"There is a lot of debate about how to measure student, teacher, and school progress. What we all can agree on is that teachers and students are under more pressure to perform well than ever before. It is critically important that, regardless of the measurements in place, educators are able to get to the root cause of each student's challenges and help them progress to the next level, and that students learn valuable skills and concepts in the process. Our mission is to help them succeed in a way that is simple and helpful for teachers and administrators, and, at the same time, effective and fun for students."

"Online educational programs and assessments will never—and should never—replace teachers' or parents' attentiveness to and focus on the educational needs of children. But, when created using the best research available, with the highest level of thought, care, and attention to detail, these programs can offer much-needed guidance for teachers and parents to help individual children become more successful in school, and effectively, in life."

Curriculum Associates recently released i-Ready Diagnostic and Instruction, a robust online program that offers a powerful adaptive assessment with personalized data-driven instruction that is differentiated for every student. With easy-to-use reports, it is all teachers need to significantly improve student outcomes in reading and math. i-Ready helps educators get to the root cause of students' challenges, place struggling learners in the appropriate Response to Intervention tier, and even transition to the new national Common Core State Standards.

While only in its first year, nearly 200,000 students across the country are using i-Ready. It has already been approved as a valid and reliable student growth measure in New York and Utah and it is getting rave reviews from schools. "As soon as I saw i-Ready, I knew that it would help our students and teachers tremendously," said Eric Conti, Superintendent of Schools for Burlington, Massachusetts, who was named one of the ten most Tech-Savvy Superintendents in 2010 by eSchool News. "The data, combined with automatically delivered online instruction in one program, is something that just doesn't exist anywhere else." Conti implemented the software last fall with approximately 1,700 students.

Pricing and Availability

The complete i-Ready Diagnostic and Instruction program for reading or math (1-year subscription) is $27.00 per student. The diagnostic module (1-year subscription) can be purchased separately for $6.00 per student. The diagnostic module targets grades K–8. The instruction component addresses the needs of students in grades K–6.

For more information, please visit http://www.i-ready.com and Curriculum Associates' YouTube channel, http://bit.ly/xeZZ8J.

About Curriculum Associates

Founded in 1969, privately owned Curriculum Associates, LLC, is dedicated to designing research-based instructional materials in print and online, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching a diverse student population and fostering learning for all students. For company and product information, visit Curriculum Associates on the Web at CurriculumAssociates.com or call 800-225-0248.

SOURCE Curriculum Associates