While the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR™) aren't mandated for use until the 2011-2012 school year, Archipelago Learning, a subscription-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of education products, is helping K-12 educators get a jump on preparing students for the demanding, new criterion-referenced tests. The company's Study Island instructional system now offers lessons and activities built directly from the Texas readiness and supporting standards that will be covered on the new STAAR tests.
Significantly more rigorous than previous tests, STAAR will measure a student's performance, as well as academic growth, in math, reading and writing, and science tests for grades 3-8, as well as end-of-course assessments for Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, English I, English II, English III, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, U.S. History, World Geography, and World History. The new Study Island content covers all these subjects.
Study Island offers inventive practice activities, customized assessments, and productivity tools that aim to improve the performance of K-12 students and their teachers. Used by more than 23,000 schools across the country, the web-based educational program combines rigorous content in math, reading, writing, science and social studies with interactive features that reinforce and reward student accomplishments. With real-time reporting on student achievement, teachers can differentiate instruction to address learning gaps as they prepare for the new STAAR assessments to help students achieve the highest scores possible.
"As a 100 percent digital solution, Study Island is extremely agile. This allows us to help schools and districts quickly, and easily transition to the STAAR tests, with instruction, practice and assessment tools that address the specific knowledge and skills students will be required to master," said Tim McEwen, President and Chief Executive Officer for Archipelago Learning.
