Scantron(R) and Thinkronize Partner to Create Complete Formative Instruction Solution
05 Julio 2006 - 5:05PM
Business Wire
Scantron to Integrate Web-based Assessment Solutions with
netTrekker Search Engine to Provide Educators with Direct Access to
Thousands of Standards-based Online Resources According to a May
2006 report(1) by Eduventures, the leading information services
company for the education market, in the 2004-05 school year more
than 6 million K-12 students benefited from the use of "formative
instruction," an instructional approach that combines three
distinct phases: assessment, diagnosis, and prescription. Although
this figure represents an increase of approximately 13 percent from
the previous year, the number is still surprisingly low, given the
recent influx of sophisticated "solutions" designed to help
educators with all three phases. So why don't more students
experience the full benefit of the formative instruction process?
The answer, according to the report, is that the link between the
assessment and diagnosis phases, and prescriptive action is often
unclear. In other words, once you assess and diagnose student
performance, how do you put those findings into action? Where do
you go to directly address student needs? Blazing a new trail in
formative instruction, Scantron(R), a leading provider of formative
and diagnostic assessment solutions for K-12 education, and
Thinkronize Inc., developer of the award-winning netTrekker suite
of safe educational search products, today announce a new
partnership to provide educators with a clear and direct link from
assessment and diagnosis to prescriptive action. Through this
partnership, Scantron will integrate its Web-based diagnostic and
formative assessment solutions with the netTrekker d.i. safe
Internet search engine -- providing a complete solution for
formative instruction. As a result, K-12 schools and districts that
employ Scantron's Performance Series(TM) or Achievement Series(TM)
solutions will be able to instantly link to standards-based online
resources using netTrekker d.i. and match those resources to
student learning needs at the individual, classroom and school
levels. "K-12 administrators told us quite clearly that the
'marriage' of two best-of-breed solutions is exactly what they're
looking for to help implement the formative instruction process,"
said Tim Wiley, senior analyst for K-12 solutions at Eduventures,
and author of the study. "Since the hallmark of formative
instruction is the systematic integration of the assessment,
diagnosis, and prescription into the course of learning, it is
exciting to see two companies such as Scantron and Thinkronize, who
are very well known in the K-12 industry, partner to integrate
their solutions to help educators achieve their mission."
Performance Series(TM) from Scantron is a computer-adaptive
diagnostic test that allows educators to quickly pinpoint students'
proficiency levels, across a range of subjects, corresponding to
specific state standards. Through this collaboration, educators
will soon be able to click on an icon next to a specific standard
on a Performance Series report and instantly link to netTrekker
d.i. to access educational resources to directly address students'
needs in that standard. Designed to support differentiated
instruction, netTrekker d.i. provides educators with fast and easy
access to more than 180,000 educator-selected, standards-based
online resources. Educators using Scantron's Achievement Series, a
content-neutral flexible testing platform, to develop and
administer online and paper tests, capture results, and produce
standards-based reports will have the same capabilities. For
example, if an educator uses Achievement Series to develop and
administer a district benchmark assessment and sees that an
individual or group of students is struggling to meet a particular
standard, through the use of netTrekker d.i. the educator can
quickly locate lessons, learning exercises, videos or any number of
resources that specifically address student confusion and help them
master the standard. "At Cobb County our teachers have access to
two terrific applications: assessment data through the Scantron
systems and instructional resources from netTrekker. To make it
even easier for teachers to maximize this value, we'd love a
solution that connects the pieces," said Linda Morrell, director of
instructional technology for Cobb County School District in
Georgia. "We are very pleased to know that two market-leading
companies like Scantron and Thinkronize have teamed up to provide a
tight link between assessments and teaching tools that will help
teachers quickly and easily turn the data into action." About
Thinkronize Thinkronize, an Internet developer of award-winning
K-12 educational products, was founded in 1999 and grew out of a
passion and commitment to enhancing teaching and learning with the
Internet and standards-based online resources. The company's
flagship product, netTrekker classic, was launched in October 2000
and has won 11 industry awards for excellence since its inception.
Thinkronize currently serves over 8.3 million students in 48
states, including adoptions by key districts and states nationwide,
making it one of the fastest growing companies in the education
industry. In recent years, the company has expanded the netTrekker
product line to include two-time award-winning netTrekker d.i.,
designed for use in schools to help educators meet individual
students' learning needs, and netTrekker home, available for
purchase by parents whose district or school has not yet purchased
a netTrekker school subscription. For more information visit
http://www.thinkronize.com or phone 877-517-1125. About Scantron
Corporation Scantron Corp. (http://www.scantron.com) is
headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and is a wholly owned subsidiary
of Atlanta-based John H. Harland Company (NYSE:JH). Scantron is a
leading provider of software services and systems for the
collection, management and interpretation of data to the
educational, financial and commercial markets. For more information
call 1-800-722-6876. About Harland Atlanta-based John H. Harland
Company (NYSE:JH) (http://www.harland.net) is a leading provider of
software and printed products to the financial and educational
markets. Harland Financial Solutions, Inc.
(http://www.harlandfinancialsolutions.com), a wholly owned
subsidiary, supplies software and services, including customer
relationship management, deposit and loan origination, core systems
and mortgage services to thousands of financial institutions of all
sizes. Harland Printed Products' offerings include checks, direct
marketing and financial forms. Scantron Corporation
(http://www.scantron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary, is a leading
provider of both paper and electronic-based services and systems
for the collection, management and interpretation of data to the
financial, commercial and educational markets. This press release
contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking
statements." These statements include statements regarding the
intent, belief or current expectations of John H. Harland Company
and members of its respective management, as well as the
assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective
investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements
are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and
uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from
those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Reference is
made to the Risk Factors and Cautionary Statements in Harland's
Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed under the Securities Exchange Act.
(1) Tim Wiley, (May 2006). "Formative Instruction and the Quest for
the Killer Application." Eduventures, Boston, MA.
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