Sopris Releases New Predictive Measures of Mathematical Proficiency for Students in the Early Grades: Assessing Student Proficiency in Early Number Sense (ASPENS)

LONGMONT, Colo., Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sopris, a provider of research-based assessments, supplemental and intervention materials, positive behavior supports, and professional development products, announced today the launch of Assessing Student Proficiency in Early Number Sense, or ASPENS. Coauthored by renowned education researchers Ben Clarke, Russell Gersten, Joseph Dimino, and Eric Rolfhus, ASPENS is a series of one-to-two-minute timed predictive measures administered for the purposes of universal screening and progress monitoring student mathematical proficiency.

The ASPENS measures were designed to assess students' understanding of critical number concepts in kindergarten and first grade, as well as students' abilities to use their understanding of these concepts in mathematical performance tasks. Research strongly suggests that if students can make significant gains in mathematics in kindergarten and first grade, their long-term trajectory in mathematics is likely to be satisfactory. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify students who require early intervention in mathematics.

ASPENS measures are research-based; produce reliable, valid results; and align with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics by assessing key mathematical processes and proficiencies for kindergarten and first grade.

ASPENS is coauthored by Dr. Russell Gersten, former National Mathematics Advisory Panel member and principal investigator for several What Works Clearinghouse projects; Dr. Ben Clarke, research associate at the University of Oregon's Center on Teaching and Learning; Dr. Joseph Dimino, former panel member for the RtI Reading Practice Guide and researcher for the RtI Mathematics Practice Guide published by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education; and Dr. Eric Rolfhus, who has more than 15 years of experience in test development and psychometrics for psychological and educational assessments and is an expert in conducting rigorous lab- and field-based research, with a special emphasis on large-scale randomized controlled trials.

ASPENS predictive measures focus on two critical aspects of development of mathematics proficiency in order to create theoretically sound early screening and progress monitoring assessments:

• Development of an increasingly refined sense of the relative magnitude of numbers (e.g., knowing that 18 is a little bit bigger than 16, but a lot bigger than 9) (Siegler & Booth, 2004)
• Ability to count strategically and efficiently (e.g., knowing that 2 + 19 is the same as 19 + 2, so it is much quicker to start at 19 and count up to 21)

"ASPENS allows primary grade teachers to carefully observe the development of number sense in their students and helps them focus on teaching what is really important," says Dr. Russell Gersten, director of the Instructional Research Group and professor emeritus at the University of Oregon's College of Education.

ASPENS is available now for purchase, and will begin shipping in December 2011. For more information, please visit the ASPENS web page or www.soprislearning.com.

About Sopris
For more than 35 years, Sopris has focused exclusively on moving all students to their full academic potential. With a firm commitment to bridging the gap between research and practice, Sopris supplemental products focus on the full spectrum of academic support—including assessments, supplements, interventions, positive behavior supports, and professional development.  Whether implemented in a single classroom, schoolwide, or districtwide, Sopris supplements have been proven to strengthen core instruction and to quickly and positively impact the academic achievement of students in literacy, math, and spoken language. Sopris is a business unit of Cambium Learning® Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ABCD) based in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please visit www.soprislearning.com.

Media and Investor Contact:
Chris Cleveland
Cambium Learning Group, Inc.
214.932.9474
[email protected]

SOURCE Sopris