NEW YORK, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — McGraw-Hill Digital Learning's innovative online student progress monitoring system, Yearly ProgressPro(TM), has been selected as a finalist in the Software & Information Industry Association's (SIIA) 20th Annual Codie Awards.
Yearly ProgressPro(TM) is a finalist in the following categories:
* Best Elementary Education Instructional Solution: Mathematics
* Best Secondary Education Instructional Solution: Mathematics
The next round of voting in the Codie Awards includes the Finalist Review Program, in which SIIA members cast their votes to determine winners. Winners will be announced at the awards gala, which will take place on May 25 at Universal Studio's Globe Theater in Universal City, Calif.
"The focus on Adequate Yearly Progress for all students is felt in every American classroom," said McGraw-Hill Digital Learning president Brad Onken. "Until Yearly ProgressPro(TM), there was nothing to make that task easy for teachers. We are extremely honored to be recognized as a Codie finalist."
Yearly ProgressPro(TM) Math is available for Grades 1-8, Algebra and Geometry. Through weekly 15-minute tests, Yearly ProgressPro(TM) is able to evaluate student progress and prescribe specific instruction for individual students. Teachers can monitor progress through a series of scientifically designed weekly assessments or they create their own tests from an item bank with 37,000 problems. Math problems in the test pool have been developed and reviewed by university researchers, curriculum and assessment experts and teachers for content quality and validity. In addition, the program includes nearly 900 tutorial exercises that can be prescribed automatically to meet each student's individual learning needs. By combining ongoing progress monitoring with individualized instruction, Yearly ProgressPro(TM) gives teachers important tools to help every child succeed in math. Yearly ProgressPro(TM) for Reading/Language Arts will be available in the fall of 2005.
Nationally, the need for technology-based data systems to track and improve student performance has been highlighted by the U.S. Department of Education in its 2005 National Education Technology Plan, as well as by First Lady Laura Bush during a speech at the National School Boards Association 64th Annual Conference.
Mrs. Bush said, "Testing enables teachers, parents and school board members to learn how students are performing, so they can celebrate a child's success and address their challenges. Teachers at Stansbury Elementary in Utah are using [Yearly ProgressPro(TM)] to routinely check student progress on the year's curriculum. They can now track a child's progress from their first day of school to their last. And teachers can tailor their lesson plans to better meet their students' needs."
About Yearly ProgressPro(TM)
Launched in 2003 by McGraw-Hill Digital Learning, Yearly ProgressPro(TM) is an online progress monitoring system built on 25 years of research in the scientific methodology of Curriculum-Based Measurement, which has been proven to be a highly effective method for improving student learning outcomes. Yearly ProgressPro(TM) helps administrators and teachers track progress towards districts' Adequate Yearly Progress goals, a key component of No Child Left Behind. For more information, visit http://www.mhdigitallearning.com/ and click "Product Tour" or call 1-800-848-1567, ext. 4424.
About The Codie Awards
In 1986, the Excellence in Software Awards program was established by the Software Publishers Association, now the SIIA, so that the pioneers of the then-nascent software industry could evaluate and honor each other's work. In 1993, the Excellence in Software Awards became the Codie Awards.
Since its inauguration, the Codie Awards program has carried forward the same vision - to showcase the software and information industry's finest products and services and to honor excellence for corporate achievement and philanthropic efforts.
The Codie Awards hold the distinction of being the only peer-recognition awards program of its kind in the industry, providing a unique opportunity for companies to earn the praise of their competitors. As SIIA evolves to serve the needs of its members, the Codie Awards program remains the standard bearer for celebrating outstanding achievement and vision in the industry.
About McGraw-Hill Digital Learning
McGraw-Hill Digital Learning provides research-based, standards-aligned solutions that integrate diagnostics, prescriptive content, and reporting to improve instruction and raise student performance. It is a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global provider of electronic and print products that enhance teaching and learning in the pre-K through 12th grade, higher education and professional markets. It is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's and BusinessWeek. Founded in 1888, the Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.
CONTACT:
April Hattori
McGraw-Hill Education
(212) 904-2078
april_hattori@mcgraw-hill.com
Tom Stanton
McGraw-Hill Education
(212) 904-3214
tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com
