Formatives, a Convenient Method in Monitoring Progress

Learning is driven by intentional assessment for all students and helps to identify those in need of stronger support and interventions. Assessments help educators create an equitable learning environment with options ranging from benchmark, interim, to short formative assessments. Each has a specific purpose, while all provide data needed to challenge students at their zone of proximal development.

Let's zero in on formative assessments. This short assessment measures the achievement of one standard for the purpose of guiding instruction and providing information on standards mastery. These quizzes, usually about 5 questions, offer quick snapshots of learning. The data generated through the quiz can be run at the student, class, or district level providing specific information for the appropriate user whether it is a teacher, principal, or administrator. Thus, formatives are beneficial for all levels of educators.

Simply put, formative assessments are a convenient way to monitor student progress. Formatives can be administered at any time in the classroom, scheduled for large groups of students, and can sometimes be generated automatically to address specific student needs. In some cases, pre-built formative assessments are available in learning management systems offering a convenience way to quickly gauging learning. While some assessment systems incorporate tools offering the ability to create, schedule, and administer formatives. The ability to create formatives is particularly convenient when teachers want to test skills recently covered in the classroom. 

Consider incorporating formatives as a common practice. Formatives can be used to:

• Pre-test. Find out where your students are at the beginning of a unit. Use this information to guide instructional planning and to build intervention groups for students who many need a little extra help.
• Practice. Formatives can be used to give students the opportunity to get used to certain item types such as technology enhanced items found on high stakes tests.
• Intervene. Formative assessments can be administered to a group of students who have been identified as needing additional instruction. These quizzes provide additional information to teachers to help reduce the risk of failing to master standards.
• Guide instruction. Formatives can be given for the purpose of guiding instruction. They provide the information needed to decide where to begin teaching so time is not wasted on teaching concepts the class already knows.
• Inform instructional delivery. Formatives can be used to provide information on how students respond to varying instructional content delivery. Use this information to help create differentiated instruction so that all students can learn and achieve.
• Monitor progress. Formatives help teachers gather information throughout the year to show teachers what students have learned at a given point in time within the unit or lesson.
• Standards Mastery. Formative assessments assess one standard to see if initial instruction was understood and the standard has been mastered. This provides a clear direction on when to move forward to the next unit.

Documenting student learning, evaluating curriculum effectiveness, supporting differentiated instruction for intervention groups, and supporting individualized instruction are all supported through formative assessments. Dig deeper into assessments and discover the rare mix of convenience and choice available.

October is Head Start Awareness Month

First created in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan, Head Start Awareness Month is an opportunity to share at the local, state and national levels the power of Head Start.

As a long-time supporter of the National Head Start Association (NHSA), we would like to pay tribute to the work and advocacy done to build knowledge of and support for the whole-child and whole-community approach in supporting children and families on their path to success.

Right now, there is a growing realization among business leaders and policy makers that investment in early childhood is key to the future success of our nation. There is also a greater understanding of the importance in the development of character of the first five years of life and a greater appreciation of the long-term benefits to society from investing in high quality programs such as Head Start and Early Head Start. We have always seen the value of the work they do, but it’s exciting to see others take notice!

ATI has always been a champion of the work NHSA does. We have been honored to work with so many leaders in child education and in doing so we were able to collaborate and develop the Galileo Pre-K Portrait of Child Outcomes. This is a broad array of Head Start programs representing several states that have joined together for several years to create and share important stories about themselves and about children's accomplishments. The Portrait of Child Outcomes has been used by NHSA in making presentations nationwide documenting the contributions of Head Start to early childhood learning. We are privileged to have the opportunity to bring their story to you, click here.

Throughout October, join us in celebrating and advocating for childhood education and development. Learn more about NHSA and how you too can support their efforts. 

Blended Learning Connects Classrooms and At Home Learning

Blended learning has become one of the most used pedagogical concepts for improving instruction both in the classroom and at home. In today’s society we are exposed to technology at every turn and so are the children we teach. We are not escaping the digital age because we are living and working in it every day. Thus, exposing children to digital learning is not trendy, it’s preparing them to be college and career ready.

Blended learning is defined as combining face-to-face instruction with computer-facilitated instruction supporting personalized learning. WestEd, a nonprofit research, development, and service agency aimed to improve education for students, conducted a study on behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to examine how technologies in a blended learning environment could offer enhanced opportunities for both teachers and students.

In their report titled, “Blended Learning and Data Use in Three Technology-Infused Charter Schools,” the authors examined whether the blended learning environments provided greater access to and more diverse data sources for teachers and students from which to make educational decisions. The authors looked at how strongly leadership supported the use of technology, students’ engagement in the learning process, and the flow of data for which decisions were made. It is noted that the opportunities in the teaching and learning process that were made available in this study were opportunities that most likely would not have been possible in a traditional setting.

Three small charter schools in Arizona participated in the study. Middle and high school students were exposed to multiple forms of technology that supported in-person and distant educational experiences.Teachers and administrators were well trained in the use of the technologies and how they could be used to enhance instructional and administrative decision making.

Key findings include:

• Blended learning environments provide data to teachers and students that may not be readily available in more traditional classes;
• Blended learning environments provide for anytime and anywhere virtual learning opportunities;
• Teachers were able to address the needs of particular students through various media and diverse learning experiences;
• Students were engaged through flexible and customizable learning activities; and
• The schools exhibited strong leadership, an explicit vision for the use of technology and data, the engagement of students in the teaching and learning process, the enculturation of data use through data teams and data coaches, and the provision of professional learning opportunities.

Today's educators know that the one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning is by far not a successful model. This study demonstrates how adopting a blended learning method is more apt to reach individual learners. The blended learning approach is a hybrid approach and comes in multiple formats including printed, projectable, or digital formats which sharpen critical thinking skills and are the basis for the development of analytic reasoning. As noted in the study blended learning is designed to strengthen the connection between what is being taught and what students practice. Read the full report. 

Every Word Matters in a Mathematical World

Recently, I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Concepcion “Como” Molina at a company-wide conference. I was vaguely familiar with his teaching concepts, however never had the pleasure of seeing him present. I am always interested in learning and crave new techniques that can save me time and effort.

What happened next, I was not prepared for. Dr. Molina spoke about the language of teaching and learning. How one word can change the meaning in a sentence or can be interpreted in several different ways. For instance, during a lesson on addition, a teacher may verbally ask students to add up numbers in a problem. What does this actually mean? How do students interpret the concept or define what is meant by “add up?”  

Conceptual understanding of various math topics is not as straight forward as you might think. Some students might interpret the concept of “add up” to literally mean place the sum of the numbers at the top of the problem. Thus, adding the numbers in the direction of “up” or at the top of the problem. I found myself stunned and hanging on every word. I wasn’t the only person in the room that had a personal “aha” moment.

Interpretation of adding the sum of an equation “up”.

Dr. Molina continued by explaining the little things that can be done when teaching students at all different levels. He was excited to introduce us to the idea of teaching pre-algebra in grades one through seven because there's so many things that can be taught as far as algebra through arithmetic. The fundamental practice of teaching mathematics, for the most part, is taking things apart, putting them together, or reorganizing them.

I started questioning things and as I looked around the room…I could see the mathematicians’ eyes questioning the concepts as well. I watched as several teachers in the audience were seriously studying his interpretation of what the math equations and symbols COULD mean. You see, Dr. Molina showed us in a very clear and concise way what it is like to read a math problem when you have limited or no English language skills and honestly even students who are native English readers. He shows us how to come at math from a completely different point of view that provides more context and meaning to what you are learning.

Dr. Molina explains that to really understand mathematics you must pay a lot of attention to the language and the symbolism. “We really have to do a better job of increasing the content knowledge of elementary teachers, because as I say, you can't teach what you don't know. It's more about the methods. It's like you're teaching someone to fish as opposed to giving them the fish. You know, if you teach them how to fish then they [teachers] can create a lot of their own stuff and really do a better job of teaching the math that kids need to know,” comments Dr. Molina. It’s about visualization, concrete modeling, approaching it from different perspectives. Teaching is about being mindful of the instructional language that is being used because it’s very easy to change one word in defining a concept that can lead to “adding up.”

Every single one of us comes from somewhere. We all experience different events in our lives that shape who we are. Our families, friends, educators, and everyone in our social circle. This starts at a very young age. We can easily agree that we are all unique individuals with diverse needs. So, with this in mind, why would we expect kids to learn in the same manner? Additionally, understanding our differences and creating a language of learning that includes ALL students is key to providing equality in education. When everyone understands the language, symbolism, and representation of math concepts, teaching and understanding become easier.

“The Problem with Math is English” is Dr. Molina’s new book. He shares his story with humor and wit. His book fills a gap in math education by illustrating how a deeper knowledge of math concepts can be developed in all students through a focus on language and symbolism. The idea about mathematics and the language connection really is not just about EL students, it’s about ALL students.

"In this easy to read book, Como Molina—with rare humor, insight and thoughtfulness—shares many of the lessons he has learned while providing professional development for mathematics teachers in U.S. public schools. Como delightfully challenged my own understandings of the important relationships between mathematical ideas and the language we commonly use to teach them."

—Dr. Stephen Marble, 

Associate Professor of Education, Southwestern University, 

Georgetown , TX

His examples can be profound “aha” moments in your classroom. Decide for yourself and give it a try. As you’re building your curriculum plans for the school year, consider adopting some of his concepts.

I hope you share some of you “aha” moments this fall. Let’s continue to inspire each other. Our passion for education matters and the language of learning continues in every word we speak.

About the Author

Concepcion Molina, Ed.D., is a program associate with SEDL, a private, nonprofit education research, development, and dissemination corporation based in Austin, Texas. Dr. Molina supports systemic reform efforts in mathematics and works to assist state and intermediate education agencies in their efforts to improve instruction and student achievement.

Written by Jody Jepson, Senior Communications Coordinator, Assessment Technology, Incorporated

It's Go Time for Galileo K-12 Implementation

ATI and Imagine Learning joined forces in March 2019! While the Galileo K-12 program features you are familiar with such as test scheduling and administration are staying the same, the way you access the Galileo K-12 program and manage user accounts has changed. Review all of the updates below before you begin rostering and testing this year.

Kick off the onboarding process
Start the new 2019-20 rostering and data upload process by completing the Back to School Onboarding Registration form as soon as possible. Once you complete the form, Imagine Learning’s Customer Experience team will reach out to help create your personalized onboarding plan.

TIP! Start the onboarding process with Imagine Learning before you begin rostering for the 2019-20 school year.

Log into Galileo K-12
Logging in via web browser? You and your students will now log into Galileo at login.imaginelearning.com. You can also access the new URL from the existing ATI staff/student login pages (click the “Login via Imagine Learning” button).

• Instructions for how to login via the browser

Logging in via Clever SSO? You will log in to Clever the same way you are used to via a new Clever icon.

• Instructions for how to login via Clever

Roster and manage Galileo K-12 accounts manually If you are rostering and managing classes and accounts manually in Galileo K-12, the student and staff management experience has been updated.

The new Student and Staff Management page can be found in the same place you are familiar with for managing accounts - under the Setup tab.

• Instructions for how to roster and manage classes and staff/student accounts

Prepare your technology for using Galileo K-12

• Ensure URLs on the Galileo Whitelist are accessible on network security devices.
• Confirm that your hardware and software align with Galileo system requirements.

Develop your assessment plan
Finally, don’t forget to develop your assessment plan and testing schedule. It’s time to contact an Educational Management Services coordinator to request the delivery of your tests.

New login in process views from the educator and student login interface

We look forward to being your partner in education. If you have any questions about these steps, please contact the Imagine Learning Customer Care Team at 866.457.8776 (call or text) or support@imaginelearning.com. 

Get Ready for Back-to-School - Order Your Benchmark Assessments Today

Photo by Icons8 team on Unsplash

Its that time of year again! Time to start thinking about ordering your district benchmark assessments.We recommend contacting your ATI Educational Management Services (EMS) coordinator to begin the assessment planning process. EMS staff will help your team to create a comprehensive assessment plan that addresses district/charter goals including: 

• How many benchmarks assessments will there be during the year?
• When will benchmark testing occur?
• Which subjects and grade levels will be tested?
• Should technology enhanced items be included on assessments? 

EMS staff will work closely and efficiently with you to ensure that the resulting benchmark assessments are of the highest quality. Of course, quality requires time so it is important for you to allow for a 2 week delivery window for pre-made assessments and a 6 week window for assessments aligned to district curriculum. Check out the online Galileo Help Files for resources including the Assessment Planner and Test Review guide. Contact Educational Management Services today.

Tech Edvocate Nominates Galileo K-12

We’re honored to announce that Galileo K-12 has been nominated for the 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards. We are passionate about education and strive everyday to create technology to promote learning for all children. YOU can help Galileo win by casting your vote! 

Simply go to the link below, enter your name and email address, choose “ATI’s Galileo K-12 Comprehensive Assessment System” under the Best Assessment App or Tool category, then hit Submit. It only takes 30 seconds! Popular vote is 20% of the award determination so let’s get together and help Galileo K-12 win! 

Share the link with others to vote as well. Voting ends July 31, so vote today!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-KpJuKEKBCeNq1BA_DV5W-llxFEhdH9nocmJPxOq7OUWB4w/viewform

Thank you for your support!

Monitoring Student Progress with Formative Assessments

It’s nice to have options especially the ability to choose what will work best for you. This holds true in teaching and learning. There are many different kinds of assessments to inform instruction. From formative, summative, benchmark, pre and posttest, or college prep tests. Understanding which assessment to use to gauge instruction is key towards creating the right combination to foster academic success.

Let’s look at the most often used assessment, formatives. Formative assessments are most often used as practice tests to monitor progress. A gauge on whether students really “got” the lesson taught or not. Using formative assessments throughout the year, teachers can measure what students have learned and what they have not learned. A pretty good method teachers can use for a quick check point of understanding. The data from this check point gives teachers the information they need to determine whether to go back and reteach a lesson or decide to move forward. 

Visual check point monitoring progress using formative assessments 

The choice can sometimes become difficult when time is an issue. However, administering formative assessments should not take much time at all. For example, the pre-built, standards-aligned formative assessment available in Galileo K-12 can be administered quickly to assess critical skills and specific standards. They are stored in libraries to share across the school or district. Content specialists can even create a library of common formative assessment. Additionally, Galileo formative assessments offer full control on the actual administration of each test including the ability to password protect tests, set the time frame of test, and assign to specific intervention groups or classes. 

Educators can choose to utilize the pre-built Galileo Formatives or create their own tests, using Test Builder and narrow down items by searching by standard, grade, subject, item type and DOK level. Educators can use the item bank to customize their own tests and also create their own items or questions, through Galileo’s Item Builder. Formative assessments can also be created using Galileo K-12 Automated Scoring Key technology. This allows educators to upload a pre-existing test into Galileo from a file such as a word or pdf file. 

Teachers monitor progress everyday all year long and adjust accordingly. Real-time reports can be a game changer in the classroom. The Test Monitoring page is often the most used report in Galileo empowering teacher to monitor progress in real-time and see how the students are answering each test item. Additionally, a quick visual summary of students’ level of mastery of standards helps to identify gaps in learning using the Intervention Alert report. 

Choosing to invest in scheduling formative assessments to monitor progress is well worth the rich data gathered on student learning. To learn more about Galileo Formative assessments contact us for a personalized demonstration. Or go directly to our website to learn about the entire Galileo Comprehensive Assessment System offerings. 

Other resources:

The Benchmark Performance Levels Report Provides an In-Depth Analysis of Student Learning

ATI College Prep Benchmark Assessments

Gathering Rich Data to Support Effective Teaching and Learning

Information about a student’s capabilities gathered through the assessment and instructional process creates a portrait of the student as a learner. This type of feedback for both teacher and student will set the stage for establishing goals for improving student learning. Instruction can be strategically planned and lessons can be identified to target students at a variety of levels. 

Understanding what students in a classroom already know is the first step. The Galileo Benchmarks series includes three assessments that can be administered at the beginning, middle, and end of year. The first assessment administered will provide a placement for students. These assessments provide an IRT scale score as well as information about student mastery of individual domains. The two additional benchmark tests are given in intervals throughout the year tracking progress. From these benchmarks, data points identify which students are at-risk and which students are meeting benchmark goals. This is illustrated through changes in the student performance levels and risk levels.

Galileo Risk Level Summary Report

Risk Levels used to inform district decision-making 

This rich data is available within the Galileo comprehensive reporting suite. The Dashboards reports support the continuous gathering of data to support effective teaching and learning, resulting in high student achievement that is based on today’s standards for college and career readiness. Educators can use Galileo to track student growth and achievement, which includes evaluating student progress toward standards mastery as well as college and career readiness as measured by statewide assessments. 

The reports also provide detailed information about student strengths and weaknesses including their level of mastery of individual state standards. This powerful portrait of student learning is made possible by transforming high-powered data analysis procedures such as IRT, test scaling procedures, and inferential statistics into practical, interactive reports that educators can use to facilitate quality instruction, enrichment and re-teaching activities. The reports present multiple measures of student performance, including raw scores (number/percent correct), Developmental Level (IRT scale) score ability estimates, standards mastery classifications, growth, and risk information.  

Learn more about the real-time reporting functions in the Galileo comprehensive reporting suite. Check out the website or contact us for a personalize demonstration. 

Explore Galileo K-12 and Discover the Power behind a Research-Based Assessment Solution

The future in assessment is here at ATI bringing the highest quality of assessment and reporting to educators just in time for back to school 2019. Join us as we highlight the Galileo K-12 Online Comprehensive Assessment System offering support for universal screening and progress monitoring for District needs kindergarten through 12th grade. 

Choose from a wide variety of pre-built comprehensive benchmarks/screeners aligned to State Standards in ELA and mathematics as well as pre-built benchmarks/screeners aligned to Next Generation Science Standards. The Galileo K-12 assessments are built to comprehensively reflect the content and skills reflected in state and national standards, ensuring that the assessments can provide relevant and sufficient information about student learning to support decisions about whether students are on track or at risk. Galileo K-12 assessments are designed to screen, diagnose, and monitor students’ learning and to inform instruction in language arts, and math.  

What this brief video and dig deep into the dynamic technology found in Galileo 

Get a first-hand look at Galileo K-12 in this brief video tour where it highlights an array of integrated assessments and reporting tools designed for students, parents, and educators. Learn more about universal screening and benchmark assessments, progress monitoring using formative assessments, state test forecasting, a dyslexia screening toolkit, student-parent portal, and much more. Timely accurate feedback offered through Galileo K-12 throughout the school year gives educators the power to personalize instruction which can help accelerate the rate of learning. 

Galileo K-12 gives educators power to personalize instruction for students 

Continue to learn by accessing other Galileo Tour videos found on the Assessment Technology, Incorporated YouTube page. New videos are added all the time, including the “Did You Know” series videos, which highlights some of the most used functions in Galileo K-12. Bookmark the page and come back to it as a quick reference source. Contact us today to schedule a personal guided demonstration of Galileo K-12.

Counteract the Summer Slide - Become a More Proficient Galileo User

We are all familiar with the concept of summer slide in terms of regression of student skills during summer break. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education has a series of blog posts* regarding this topic as well as student resource suggestions such as NGA Kids** (National Gallery of Art) or a summer reading list offered from Study.com***. In this blog, we are going to turn the tables and look at it in the perspective of an educator. We will apply the concept of summer slide to educators and what can be done over the summer to become a more proficiency user of Galileo K-12 technology.

As summer time begins and you start planning, ask yourself some questions before you get started: How much time will you dedicate to this? What resources will you need? Do you have appropriate access or will you need specialized access? Are there continuing education credits available? 

Once you have set some goals, do little research to figure out what resources are available and how to begin exploring them in Galileo. A few resources that might help in your journey to becoming a more proficient user follows:  

• ATI Professional Development Help Files: This will likely be your best resource as a user. The Galileo interface includes a direct link to Help Files (knowledge base) with step-by-step instructions that guide users through a variety of tasks, as well as links to pre-recorded video tutorials, quick reference guides, and user manuals.
• Learning on Demand:  Learning on Demand sessions are webinars that guide educators in becoming proficient users of Galileo K-12 technology with the goal of enhancing student learning. The sessions are scheduled throughout the year, and a library of recorded sessions are available on a variety of topics to listen to at your convenience. The sessions can be found in the Help Files. Continuing professional development credit is offered for those who register and participate in the live session. 
• ATI YouTube page: Galileo Tours and Did You Know videos series offer insight into the tools and capabilities of Galileo K-12. The videos dig deeper into the technology in a step-by-step format.
• ATI Support web page: Technical support documentation offers guidelines to ensure a successful year of implementing Galileo. We highly recommend you frequent the System Requirements/Security page to ensure that your online testing plans are in sync with the system requirements and security recommendations. 
• ATI web page: The ATI website offers materials that give a general overview and highlight specific features available in Galileo. Check out the Resources/Publications page where videos, FAQs, research briefs, and white papers can be found offering an in depth understanding the possibilities found in Galileo K-12. 

As you start to explore these resources and dig deeper into the knowledge base materials, we trust that they will ultimately better equip you to help your students and fulfill your educational goals. But don’t forget to enjoy your respite from the classroom. 

* Amatucci, D. (2014, March 4). Stopping the Summer Slide [Blog post]. https://blog.ed.gov/2014/03/stopping-the-summer-slide/
** National Gallery of Art (2018). National Kids Art Zone. https://www.nga.gov/education/kids.html
*** Johnson, A. (2017, July). Why is Summer Reading so Important for Kid’s Success [Blog post]? https://study.com/blog/why-is-summer-reading-so-important-for-kids-success.html 

3 Key Capabilities Supporting Powerful, Data-driven Decision Making

Empowering educators with the right tools is the key towards having a successful year in the classroom. In this blog we will walk through a few key capabilities found in a comprehensive assessment system that can have an immediate impact in your classroom and help students soar on their learning path.

Let’s start with what we know. Research tells us that if we implement reliable and valid formative and benchmark assessments as part of a comprehensive assessment system, the data generated will provide teachers the information needed to guide and adjust instruction. This data positively impacts a student’s learning trajectory if implemented with fidelity in the classroom. 

What does a reliable and valid comprehensive assessment system look like? The Galileo K-12 Online Comprehensive Assessment System offers research-based assessments built to comprehensively reflect the content and skills reflected in state and national standards. This ensures that assessments can provide relevant and sufficient information about student learning to support decisions about whether students are on track or at risk. These assessments are designed to screen, diagnose, and monitor students’ learning and to inform instruction in English language arts, mathematics, and science. Several pre-built assessments are available in Galileo K-12 Online: the ATI Comprehensive Benchmark Assessment Series aligned to state test blueprints and the ATI Formative Assessment Series that provides brief technology-enhanced quizzes aligned to each standard. 

The Galileo Online’s comprehensive system will provide educators 3 key capabilities supporting powerful, data-driven decision making.

1. Universal screening capabilities. Educators can now give benchmark assessments to screen students for instructional placement at the beginning, middle, and end of each year. This allows teachers to evaluate students’ RTI tier designations three times a year. The Galileo K-12 assessment system automatically places students into the most relevant instruction for each student.
2. Progress monitoring. Formative assessments offer ongoing progress monitoring to keep educators informed on how students are learning and growing throughout the school year. Standard gaps are identified for each student. Then teachers can assign standards-based tests for weekly or bi-weekly progress checks, or even create their own tests from a large formative item bank.
3. Forecasting capabilities. Galileo K–12 has predictive capabilities built directly into the program allowing a district to load state or local test data into the system and receive almost immediate predictive state or local test performance data using the program’s benchmarks. Educators can see if their instruction is moving the needle towards proficiency, allowing them to make adjustments as needed.

This is just the tip of the ice berg of possibilities in Galileo K-12 Online. Other assessments that can impact your classroom and can be found in Galileo are the Dyslexia Screening Toolkit, adaptive placement tests, and college prep test designed to prepare student for test high-stakes tests formats. To learn more watch this brief video or for a personal guided demonstration to explore Galileo contact us today.

About our integration: Imagine Learning and Assessment Technology, Incorporated (ATI) have joined forces to offer an integrated comprehensive assessment system with the digital education curriculum giving educators more power to personalize instruction. This combination means that ATI’s flagship product, Galileo K-12, will be infused into Imagine Learning programs beginning with Imagine Language & Literacy for back to school 2019. Galileo K-12 will also be available as a stand-alone assessment solution.

Other resources:

The Benchmark Performance Levels Report Provides an In-Depth Analysis of Student Learning

ATI College Prep Benchmark Assessments

The Benchmark Performance Levels Report Provides an In-Depth Analysis of Student Learning

Check out the enhancements to the Benchmark Performance Levels report! It now provides teachers and administrators the capability to evaluate student performance on multiple measures involving classes and schools. This report is useful to answer the following questions:

• which students need intervention?
• which standards have students mastered? 
• which standards should be retaught?
• is student performance improving throughout the year?
• how does class performance compare to school and district performance?
• how does student performance compare across content areas?
• which schools and classes are excelling or struggling?
• how are students performing in each of their classes?

Compare performance across tests at multiple levels in the Benchmark Performance Levels report. 

The new report is accessible from the Benchmark Performance Levels report on the Teacher- and Admin Dashboards as well as from the Reports menu. Chart views include colorful bar graphs that illustrate patterns of performance. Data views provide interactive data tables that enable custom search and sorting. Additionally, print and export capabilities support a variety of formats such as JPG, PDF, and Excel.

Learn about additional reports found on the Galileo Dashboard.

Proactive Professional Development - Upcoming Learning on Demand

The Galileo Online professional development program includes a variety of topics designed to prepare all users to take full advantage of all that Galileo technology has to offer. We know that flexibility is important, so our professional development team provides a variety of training options. These include on-site large-group professional development sessions at District provided computer labs as well as web-based training through small-group live and recorded webinars, Learning on Demand sessions, pre- and recorded video tutorials, and quick reference guides accessed through the Help Files. 

One of the most popular resources is the complimentary Learning on Demand webinar and video series. Several Learning on Demand sessions are approaching for both K-12 and Pre-K users. Register on the "Upcoming" tab to take full advantage of these offerings. Each session is offered first as a live webinar and then as a recording of the webinar available through the Galileo Help Files. Sessions focus on a single topic related to the basics of Galileo. With live demonstrations and interaction from ATI's professional development team, this is a great opportunity to increase your proficiency as a Galileo user.

UPCOMING LIVE SESSIONS

• K-12: Interpreting Student Growth and Achievement Data Across Pre/Post Assessment Data, Wednesday, May 1
• K-12: Completing the Assessment Planner, Tuesday, June 11
• Pre-K: The Galileo Pre-K Parent Center, May 15
• Pre-K: Agency-Created Custom Child Forms, June 18

Register on the "Upcoming" tab.

For more information contact us at 1.800.367.4762 or by emailing us at GalileoInfo@ati-online.com. Thank you for your ongoing interest in Galileo!

ATI College Prep Benchmark Assessments

As part of the ATI Comprehensive Assessment System, ATI offers standards-aligned College Prep benchmark assessments for English language arts, math, and science. These tests resemble the latest versions of nationally accepted college entrance exams, incorporating similar types of questions and texts and designed according to similar blueprints. College Prep tests can be aligned to either state standards or ATI’s own College Prep standards. The data received from the ATI College Prep assessments allow schools to select interventions to help students improve in specific skill areas. Moreover, students who take ATI’s College Prep assessments gain experience and confidence with a high-stakes test format.

To order the ATI College Prep Test or to learn more, contact ATI's Educational Management Services team.

Together ATI and Imagine Learning Now Offer a Research-Based Assessment and Digital Education Curriculum Solution

With acquisition of ATI, Galileo® K-12 comprehensive assessment system will be combined with Imagine Learning’s personalized, proven language and literacy program

Assessment Technology, Inc. (ATI), the recognized leader in educational measurement in K-12 online assessment, is excited to announce that Weld North, a leading Pre-K–12 digital curriculum company and parent company of Imagine Learning, has acquired ATI. ATI  will combine forces with Imagine Learning to develop a seamless approach to improving student learning.

ATI’s Galileo K-12 assessment tool will be incorporated into Imagine Learning’s digital education programs, providing educators with research-based universal screening, progress monitoring, and data that predicts how students will perform on state and local testing. This will empower Imagine Learning to support even more students and provide data to teachers and administrators.

Bryan Sparks, co-President of Imagine Learning, said, “The acquisition of ATI supercharges our assessment capabilities overnight, adding the most comprehensive psychometric research in the industry into our products. Dr. Bergan and his team have a sterling reputation, and we look forward to collaborating, expanding our reach across classroom and district assessment systems and leveraging our national footprint to bring these tools to more classrooms and school districts. ATI will be a differentiator for Imagine Learning and we are excited to welcome the very talented ATI team to our organization.”

Galileo K-12 is backed with over thirty years of science and experience and brings an incredible added value to current and future Imagine Learning users. ATI was founded by John Bergan, Ph.D. in 1986 with a mission to create and distribute technology to promote learning. From its inception, ATI has pursued an evidence-based approach to education in which assessment is implemented for the purpose of guiding learning. “We’re proud to offer educators the cutting-edge technology they need to effectively teach to the unique strengths and needs of each student,” stated John Bergan, President for ATI.

Galileo K-12 will be added to Imagine Learning’s Imagine Language & Literacy program for fall 2019, with long-term plans to incorporate the assessment tool into the Imagine Math program by fall 2020. Currently, almost two million students in over 24,000 schools across the US use Imagine Learning programs.

Learn More:
http://ati-online.com/galileoK12/indexK12.php
https://www.imaginelearning.com/programs/language-and-literacy
http://ati-online.com/pdfs/ati/wsjarticle.pdf

About Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning partners with educators, providing personalized, proven digital education programs that teach language, literacy, and math to students from pre-K through grade eight. Students and teachers love Imagine Learning’s digital education programs because they are research- and evidence-based, data driven, instructionally differentiated, and incredibly fun to use. The Imagine Learning family is dedicated to working with teachers to change lives and open doors of opportunity for students. To learn more about Imagine Learning, visit www.imaginelearning.com.  

About Weld North: Weld North operates a platform of digital and SaaS educational solution businesses. Weld North makes control investments in high potential businesses in the education industry.   By attracting highly motivated and distinctly talented professionals, Weld North looks to accelerate growth through an obsessive focus on enhancing the customer experience, operational excellence, marketing expertise and disciplined financial management. Learn more at https://www.weldnorth.com/.

About Galileo K-12: Galileo K-12 is a comprehensive, research-based, and standards aligned instructional improvement and effectiveness system designed to serve students, parents, educators, and administrators. Galileo K-12 provides an array of user-friendly curriculum, assessment, instructional effectiveness, and reporting tools yielding data for student improvement decision making. The system provides robust item banks, multiple assessment types, and real-time data reporting. Galileo K-12’s all-in-one application is backed by responsive support and customized professional development. Use of Galileo K-12 facilitates advancements in teaching strategies including the integration of curriculum and formative assessment and the implementation of instructional effectiveness initiatives across multiple content areas. Read more about Galileo K-12 at http://ati-online.com/galileoK12/indexK12.php


About ATI: ATI was founded in 1986 by educators with expertise in child development, educational measurement, and the psychology of learning who are passionate about their mission of creating technology to promote learning. As partners with their clients, ATI ensures educators receive cutting-edge technology, prompt guidance, and clear communications so that they and those they teach can benefit from all that ATI’s Galileo K-12 assessment tool has to offer. Read more about ATI at http://www.ati-online.com/