U.S. Department of Education Approves Modified Assessments Developed Collaboratively by the Texas Education Agency and Pearson
Pearson Announces Successful Collaboration with the TEA
Austin, TX (PRWEB) July 15, 2009 -- Pearson, the education and technology company, today announced that it has successfully collaborated with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to gain approval from the U.S. Department of Education of modified academic assessments (often referred to as the 2% assessments) for reading/English language arts, mathematics and science. These assessments are developed for use by students who are on grade level, but receive special education services. The U.S. Department of Education also approved Texas' assessment for students who have significant cognitive disabilities (often referred to as the 1% assessment), which TEA and Pearson developed jointly, as well.
Texas is the first state to have its modified standards and assessments approved by the U.S. Department of Education, and with the approval of the 1% assessment, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) now has a fully-approved assessment system.
In response to these approvals, Commissioner of Education for the TEA, Robert Scott, said, "We are pleased that the department has fully approved our standards and assessment system."
Pearson's content experts, psychometricians, and program team worked closely with TEA staff to successfully develop and implement the federally compliant assessment system in Texas.
"These newly approved assessments, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills-Modified (TAKS-M), or 2% assessment, and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills-Alternate (TAKS-Alt), or 1% assessment, represent a tremendous amount of work and a significant accomplishment for the student assessment program in Texas," said Douglas Kubach, president and CEO, Assessment and Information Group of Pearson. "TEA and Pearson have developed these assessments to meet the needs of students with disabilities eligible for taking these assessments while providing reliable measurement of their academic skills."
TAKS-M is an on grade-level test that includes modifications, such as fewer items and fewer answer choices, to make the test more accessible for this population of students receiving special education services. The TAKS-Alt assessment is designed for students with severe cognitive disabilities and involves teachers observing students as they complete state-developed assessment tasks that link to the grade-level Texas curriculum through prerequisite skills. Teachers evaluate student performance based on the dimensions of the TAKS-Alt rubric and submit the results through an online instrument.
About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education and education technology, provides innovative print and digital education materials for preK through college, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher professional development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry. Pearson's other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information about the assessment group of Pearson, visit http://www.ed.pearsonassessments.com.
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