Survey Shows New Innovations in ETS's Outcomes Assessments are Driving Record Satisfaction Levels

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Jul 24, 2013, 09:30 ET

PRINCETON, N.J., July 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With interest in student learning outcomes on the rise, more and more institutions are seeking reliable ways to measure and improve their effectiveness. A new ETS survey conducted in May shows record high satisfaction among customers using the ETS® Proficiency Profile and the iSkills® assessment for outcomes assessment and benchmarking.

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Over the past year, ETS has enhanced its higher education products and services through informative research, motivational certificates, and new online and remote test delivery options, all designed to help institutions meet the challenges of the changing higher education landscape. "The results of this survey show that these recent introductions are well aligned to current needs," says David Payne, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Higher Education Division at ETS.

The survey included responses from 225 ETS customers and asked for feedback on satisfaction with the assessments and their ability to meet the institution's needs. When asked about the ETS Proficiency Profile, 73 percent of respondents agreed that the ETS Proficiency Profile helps their institution meet requirements for accreditation and accountability initiatives.

The survey also gathered feedback on recent introductions such as the new certificates of achievement for the ETS Proficiency Profile and the iSkills Assessment. Of those surveyed, 77 percent of respondents said that they believe the iSkills Certificate of Achievement will result in outcomes that are more reflective of their students' actual abilities.

"Seeing this level of satisfaction reaffirms our mission to provide assessments that are effective and efficient tools to measure student success," adds Payne. "Our customers' needs are the driving force behind these new services and we are happy to see that these institutions are satisfied and demand for our products and services is rising."

The ETS Proficiency Profile assesses four core skill areas — critical thinking, reading, writing and mathematics — in a single test. The iSkills assessment measures an individual's ability to navigate, critically evaluate and make sense of the wealth of information available through digital technology. Test takers of both the iSkills assessment and ETS Proficiency Profile standard form have the opportunity to earn an electronic certificate which can be shared with an unlimited number of recipients in academia and beyond. The certificates show successful completion of the assessment and also categorize scores in three different performance levels to show the kinds of tasks that can commonly be performed by test takers in each score range. Each performance level is clearly defined on the certificate, and the certificate includes a detailed explanation of the test taker's levels of strength in the various task areas aligned with the assessment's proficiency classifications and ICT literacy framework.

For more information on the expanded testing options and the certificates to address accreditation requirements and student learning outcomes measurement, visit the ETS Proficiency Profile and the iSkills Assessment websites.

About ETS
At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® tests and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide.

www.ets.org

SOURCE Educational Testing Service