The software contains a variety of standard test answer sheets with multiple choice questions in various quantities and answer schemas. You print these standard forms on plain-paper so you can avoid expensive pre-printed forms on special paper. The software stores teacher, class, test and student information and embeds this information on your answer sheets for easy identification. Include subjective points for essays and other write in questions.

You can turn any scanner or MFD into a test grading machine with the Remark Test Grading Edition. Scanning your completed tests is performed using an image scanner or multi-function machine so there is no need for expensive dedicated form readers. Review your scanned tests on-screen for easy exception handling. In addition, you can set up a hot folder for images being scanned from your MFD. When started, the software automatically checks this folder and processes any test answer sheets it finds.

After your tests have been scanned use the built-in grading analysis to generate a variety of reports. The software grades the test and produces reports for item analysis, student scores, test statistics and more. It also produces a student grade report for each student that can be printed and handed back to the student. Grades can be exported to a variety of gradebook and student management systems.

If you would like more information on the new Remark Test Grading Edition please visit: www.remarktestgrading.com

About Gravic, Inc.

Gravic, Inc. is a world leader in providing innovative data collection, transformation, and distribution solutions. For over 30 years, our software product groups have produced technologically advanced solutions that improve the businesses and personal lives of our over 50,000 customers.

Used in thousands of schools across the globe, Gravic’s Remark software products save time and money in the collection and analysis of data from paper and web surveys, tests, assessments, evaluations and other forms. Interested readers can visit the Gravic website and sign up to receive more information at www.remarktestgrading.com or call 1.800.858.0860 for more information.

New HearBuilder Sequencing Super Fun Deck from Super Duper

Greenville, SC – May 14, 2012 – Super Duper Publications has created a companion product to their award-winning HearBuilder Sequencing educational software. The brand new HearBuilder Sequencing Super Fun Deck, which also works well as a stand-alone deck for those who do not have the HearBuilder program, reinforces sequencing, comprehension, and critical thinking skills that are vital in helping students become successful readers.

HearBuilder Sequencing Super Fun Deck, for ages 5 to 12 (grades K to 6), has 144 double-sided, colorful, illustrated cards (3 ¼” x 4 ¼”) featuring 32 different sets of events. The front side of each card has a Story Sequence, showing a character performing an everyday activity. Students put the cards in the proper order to tell the story logically. The back side of the card has an Instructional Sequence, where students envision themselves performing the task. They use the word cues on the card to create a series of events, which further enhances their sequencing skills. Players begin with three-step sequences and progress to six-step sequences. To view a video, click here.

This Super Fun Deck also has an instruction booklet, with game ideas which provides many creative ways to use the cards in a classroom setting or at home. In addition, a sturdy metal storage tin protects the cards while not in use.

Super Duper offers many products to teach important sequencing skills. HearBuilder Sequencing – 2-6 Step Sequences is research-based software that has received recognition from prestigious awards programs such as Creative Child, Children’s Technology Review, Family Choice, The National Parenting Center, and Parents’ Choice. 2, 3, 4 Sequences Galore is a pictorial activities book and printable CD-ROM that teaches two-, three-, and four-step sequences. Super Duper also offers many free Handy Handouts for educators and parents on the subject of sequencing.

Super Duper Publications creates enjoyable, engaging educational materials for children with special needs and communication or language delays. The Super Duper website offers a wide variety of products for teachers, therapy professionals, and parents to use with children in a classroom, therapy setting, and at home.

To see the full line of Super Duper products, click here.

Media Contacts:

Kati Elliott Katherine Russo
KEH Communications KEH Communications
410.975.9638 410.975.9638
kati@kehcomm.com katherine@kehcomm.com

Participants will have the opportunity to explore the exciting potential 3D interactive technologies offer in transforming instruction and improving academic achievement in schools in New York City and throughout the U.S.

“In Britain the Gaia 3D has demonstrated fantastic results by working closely with teachers over the last four years, developing content across the curriculum that truly engages students, bringing subjects to life” says CEO Anas Mawla of Gaia Technologies. “We’ve deliberately designed Gaia 3D content in partnership with teachers so that our 3D graphic artists can create computer game-quality visuals and learning environments.

Interactive content is king, and already over 10% of the school curriculum in England and Wales is now fully interactive with Gaia 3D content, and it continues to grow and develop every day.”

Gaia 3D systems are now being used in schools, academies, colleges and universities across Great Britain striving to create a culture of academic achievement and improved performance. Gaia Technologies works with more than 500 British schools and is one of Britain’s fastest growing educational businesses.

This is Gaia’s first visit to the U.S., and they have selected the largest school district in America—New York City—to demonstrate their engaging, inspiring, and innovative strategies.

“Our New York City showcase May 14-17 is a great opportunity for Gaia to develop partnerships with NYC schools and their instructional leaders. We are committed to developing and supporting programs in schools that can deliver the same amazing student experience and results that Gaia 3D is providing in Great Britain”, added Anas Mawla.

We invite you to meet Anas Mawla, CEO and the Gaia 3D team at the Millennium Hilton at 8.30am on Tuesday, May 15, where you can personally experience Gaia’s interactive 3D learning technologies in action. You will become familiar with the creative power of 3D, its unique application to instruction, sneaking learning while engaging students and making academic achievement a reality.

FFor further details:

Dafydd Davies
Development Manager – 3D
Gaia Technologies PLC
Woodlands House
Parc Menai, Bangor
Wales, UK LL57 4FA
E: dafydd.davies@gaia-tech.com
M: 00 44 7841 764044
Skype: Dafydd-BIC

Notes to Editors:

• The Press Demonstration and Briefing is being held at 8.30am on 15/5 at the Millenium Hilton, New York and is allocated to journalists. There is no need to use Eventbrite, just email dafydd.davies@gaia-tech to book your place. There will be opportunities for interviews with Anas Mawla and the team, 3D visuals and a full demonstration.
• School principals, teachers and educationalists are booking their personal 60 minute demonstrations May 14-17 using www.gaia3d.eventbrite.com, offering direct opportunities to explore with them the potential of the Gaia 3D learning system in their individual institutions.
• Further information on the New York Showcase can be found at http://www.gaia3d.co.uk/news/the-big-apple-goes-3d/, and includes the invitation sent to principals.
• Visit the www.gaia3d.co.uk website for information on the Gaia 3D software and content, view research papers, case studies and you can also download demonstration software and content.
• Gaia Technologies plc is based in Bangor, North Wales, Great Britain, and directly supports schools across the UK delivering innovative Managed ICT services incl Gaia 3D and is working with a growing Gaia 3D international reseller network to support schools across Europe, the Middle and Far East.
• We have wide ranging case studies of schools and academies who have harnessed Gaia 3D to transform the performance of students and we are working with several UK universities to develop higher education and research-based 3D learning.

Hi and I hope this finds you well!
For your next feature, please considerTheCollegeTourist.com, a site that allows students to share the best aspects about their college town.

Selecting a university is a big decision, based not only on academics and social life, but location and type of college town.TheCollegeTourist.comallows students to share their college journey, inspire others to write about theirs and communicate invaluable information to one another. It is a community of knowledge created for college students, by college students.

More about College Tourist

College Tourist launched in April 2012 and provides a digital method for students to share the best of their own college town, such as where to eat, shop or just hang out. The College Tourist team provides a site which creates a community of local knowledge and shared experiences for college students to inspire one another. Furthermore, the College Tourist blog enhances the website experience with blog posts that encompass travel, fashion and food. The College Tourist team has traveled extensively and lived in numerous countries around the world including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Australia, before settling in to life in the United States.

For more information on the College Tourist project, please visit www.thecollegetourist.com. For press inquiries, interview requests, or hi res images, please contact katherine@blinkpr.com or call 305-490-5911
We hope to work with you soon!

Thanks,

Katherine
–
Katherine Fleischman
Founder + President
blink Public Relations
cell- 305.490.5911
katherine@blinkpr.com

http://www.blinkpr.com

Turns out a lot of prospective employers prefer that their employees be educated. At a minimum, “educated” usually means a high school diploma. So what are the options for someone without a high school diploma? Shine shoes, clean windshields or become an actor? Things can’t be that desperate, can they?

Enter the GED. This high school equivalency exam gives individuals who might otherwise struggle trying to find their place in the workforce an opportunity to thrive. Shmoop. a publisher of digital curriculum and test prep, is now offering a comprehensive guide to the GED that will prepare hopefuls in advance of this all-important test. The guide won’t be able to recreate the unique experience of sitting through Study Hall; but take a half-hour nap then carve your girlfriend’s name into the top of your desk, and you should be good to go.

• Learn how to conquer “real-world” math situations such as counting change, filling pools and measuring the distance from the base of a tree to the end of its shadow. When measuring giant redwood shadows, please remember to pack a pair of comfortable shoes.
• Get the scoop on how to analyze everything from poetry to plays to your parents’ relationship. “Yes, Mom, but how does it make you feel?”
• Infer like a laboratory boss, learn all the “unzip your genes” jokes fit to print and discover the real reason Pluto is no longer a planet (we hear it got in trouble for pantsing Orion, who should have tightened his belt).
• Become well-versed in the history of everything – or at least the United States and the world – and sharpen your skills with sections on civics and government, geography, and economics. Wait – there was another Tea Party?
• Discover how to slice and dice sentences like a ninja, muscle your way through an essay and ace all those questions about organization, usage and mechanics. It’s okay – the grammar Nazis won’t bother you any longer. Their, they’re.

It’s a man (with a high school diploma)’s world out there, and Shmoop can help students without that little rolled-up piece of paper succeed in spite of it. GED doesn’t quite stand for “Guaranteed, Easy Degree,” but with Shmoop’s guide, you will feel like it does.

About Shmoop
Shmoop is a digital curriculum and test prep company that makes fun, rigorous learning and teaching materials. Shmoop content is written by master teachers and Ph.D. students from Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and other top universities. Shmoop Learning Guides, SAT Prep, and Teacher’s Editions balance a teen-friendly, approachable style with academically rigorous materials to help students understand how subjects relate to their daily lives. Shmoop offers more than 7,000 titles across the Web, iPhone, Android devices, iPad, Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader. The company has been honored twice by the Webby Awards and was named “Best in Tech” for 2010 and 2011 by Scholastic Administrator. Launched in 2008, Shmoop is headquartered in a labradoodle-patrolled office in Mountain View, California.

Media Contacts
• Emily Embury, C. Blohm & Associates, 608-216-7300 x19, emily@cblohm.com

Keeping the focus on innovation, Jay King, StudySync COO, will participate in a panel discussion, Innovation: Lessons from the Front Lines, at AEP’s Content in Context Conference, June 4, in Washington, D.C. Panelists will explore the innovation process — from financing to market analysis to business strategy — and the lessons they discovered as they put their ideas into practice.

For 2012 the AEP Awards were updated to ensure that they remain relevant, recognizing the challenges and needs of education in the 21st Century. Three key principles — quality content, age appropriateness, and innovation — drove the judging criteria and evaluation process for selecting finalists and winners. For a complete list of AEP Awards finalists, go to www.AEPweb.org.

“Each of the finalists represent the highest level of achievement in product development for the education industry,” said EricHamilton, Assistant Director at the American Museum of Natural History and AEP Awards Committee Chair. “In an era where almost anyone can publish and sell their materials, the AEP Awards show the value of professionally developed and vetted learning resources that offer real opportunities for educators to improve student achievement.”

Awards are given in four categories.

1. The Distinguished Achievement Awards (DAAs), honoring the best in a range of product types and resources used by teachers, parents, and students.
2. Innovation Awards, new in 2012, recognizing forward-thinking products that are pioneering changes in the education landscape

3. Beacon Awards, recognizing outstanding marketing of educational products

4. Golden Lamp Awards, one of the most prestigious honors in the education industry, highlighting the “best of the best” products for teaching and learning each year in four categories: Periodicals, Professional Development, Supplemental Resources, and Whole Curriculum Programs.

Products were judged in a three-tier process (educator review, professional review, and certification) with only the best materials advancing to the higher rounds.Having products judged first and foremost by educators is critically important because they know best which products will succeed or fail directly in the classroom and ensures that the winners are truly leaders in the field. All entrants will receive judges’ feedback to help them improve their materials.

AEP Awards Finalists and Winners earn the right to display the AEP Award Seal, nationally recognized by educators, administrators, and parents as a mark of outstanding quality and achievement. Winners will be announced June 5 at AEP’s Content in Context Conference in Washington, DC. For more information and to register, visit www.contentincontext.org.

About the AEP Awards
For more than four decades, the AEP Awards have honored outstanding resources for teaching and learning in all media and for any educational setting. Award winners meet the highest standards for quality, professional content for education and represent the most innovative learning solutions currently on the market. One of the largest and longest-running programs of its kind, the AEP Awards and its seal of excellence are widely recognized by educators, administrators, and parents as a mark of outstanding educational value. Find out more at www.AEPweb.org/awards.

About BookheadEd Learning, LLC
BookheadEd Learning connects high school and middle school students to the great ideas of mankind through technology, multimedia, and a rich library of classic and modern texts. StudySync, its award-winning flagship product, uses web-delivered educational tools – including broadcast-quality video, digital media, mobile platforms and social networking —to help teachers inspire higher levels of students’ reading, writing, critical thinking, academic discourse and peer-to-peer collaboration. StudySync is the recipient of the EDDIE Award from ComputED Gazette, EdTech Digest’s Pacesetter Award and is District Administration Magazine’s “Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products of 2011.” Based in Sonoma, Calif. with an office in Cambridge, Mass., BookheadEd is comprised of educators and experts who believe “Together We’re Smarter.” To learn more about BookheadEd Learning and its StudySync educational platform, visit www.studysync.com.

Contact:
Kati Elliott
KEH Communications
410-975-9638
kati@kehcomm.com

Courtney Marsh
Curriculum Associates
978-313-1342
cmarsh@cainc.com

Ohio Approves ‘i-Ready Diagnostic’ as Student Growth Measure

Assessment tool measures student growth with a rich, detailed view of their progress

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., May 14, 2012 – Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Diagnostic has been approved by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) as a student growth measure and is now on ODE’s Approved List of Assessments that measure student growth for use by school districts and educational service centers (ESCs) in teacher and principal evaluations in K–8 English Language Arts and Mathematics.

To be approved by the Ohio Department of Education, Curriculum Associates had to demonstrate that i-Ready Diagnostic has an exemplary standard of validity and reliability, is built for the Common Core State Standards and the revised Ohio Academic Content Standards, is highly correlated with curricular objectives, and has the ability to measure the growth of both low- and high-achieving students.

“Ohio joins New York in choosing i-Ready Diagnostic to be on its very selective list of approved assessments because of its ability to assess each student’s skills across multiple grade levels (not just on-level skills), making it easy to pinpoint gaps and measure growth, and its easy-to-use reports,” said Rob Waldron, President and CEO of Curriculum Associates. “In addition to being the highest quality product of its kind available, i-Ready has a comprehensive Instruction program that includes more than 600 online lessons and includes an individualized learning plan for each student that makes it easier for teachers to help students effectively and efficiently progress from where they are to where they need to be.”

i-Ready Basics
i-Ready Diagnostic Reading and Math Assessment is an effective, research-based combination of an adaptive diagnostic assessment and instant detailed reporting tool. Diagnostic results are automatically translated into easy-to-understand reports that are immediately available to teachers and administrators by grade level and domain at the district, school, grade, class, and student level. Clear, easy-to-use student profile reports are immediately available to the teacher to inform and target instruction.

i-Ready Diagnostic is newly built for the Common Core State Standards, assessing each Common Core domain. i-Ready Instruction modules are available to complement the Diagnostic assessments.

Pricing and Availability
The complete i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction program for reading or math (1-year subscription) is $27.00 per student/per subject. The diagnostic module (1-year subscription) can be purchased separately for $6.00 per student/per subject. 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, designs research-based print and online instructional materials, 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 diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students. For company and product information, visit Curriculum Associates on the Web at http://www.CurriculumAssociates.com or call 800-225-0248.
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“Without having a plan and a focus on how you’re going to go about incorporating social media, you’re potentially going to find that you’re not able to reap the benefits,” says Cindy Johanson, executive director of The George Lucas Educational Foundation, which produces Edutopia.

The guide lists steps teachers should take to introduce a formal social media policy–a document that states, in very specific terms, how teachers and students should behave while using social media…

Click here for the full story

“We’ve gotten a private tutor,” his mother Linda Coffer told WSB-TV. “He’s taken classes that are offered by the school in summer and throughout the school year.”
According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Coffer applied for a waiver which would have allowed him to graduate despite failing the exam. The state Board of Education, however, voted to deny his request…

Click here for the full story

“Dude, my nose is down,” the pilot shouted as he struggled to regain control over his X12 experimental Triad aircraft.

There was no real danger, however: The planes are imaginary and Ambition is a simulated aircraft carrier, the centerpiece of the new, $33 million National Flight Academy that supporters are calling space camp taken to the next level, the Associated Press reports. It officially opens Friday at Pensacola Naval Air Station with scheduled appearances by former shuttle astronaut Mark Kelly, the husband of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan – the first and the last men to walk on the moon. Campers from seventh to 12th grade will experience five days onboard Ambition at the National Flight Academy, surrounded by sights and sounds that recreate the feeling of being at sea and conducting noncombat missions. Organizers say it’s not just for teens who might be interested in becoming a Navy pilot, but also for those who might have an unrealized aptitude for science or math…

Click here for the full story