Scantron and ETS Join Forces to Deliver State-Aligned Assessment Items to K–12 School Districts

Scantron and ETS Join Forces to Deliver State-Aligned Assessment Items to K–12 School Districts Contact: Jason Baran 1-(609) 683-2899 mediacontacts@ets.org Irvine, Calif. (November 5, 2008) — Scantron Corporation, a leader in helping education and commercial organizations measure and improve effectiveness with assessment and survey solutions, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Educational Testing Service (ETS) to distribute ETS item banks. The agreement blends the core competencies of each organization — web-based assessment and real-time reporting combined with market-leading research and assessment development — to deliver a unique capability for analyzing multiple areas of student performance within a school district. Under the terms of the multiyear agreement, Scantron will license and distribute the ETS item banks in conjunction with the Scantron Achievement SeriesTM product, which is employed throughout the school year to monitor student progress and help guide instruction and improve performance on local and statewide assessments. The ETS item banks measure reading, mathematics, science and writing skills aligned to specific state standards measured by state summative tests. Thousands of high-quality items were carefully created by ETS using a rigorous item development process, and the items can be combined into benchmark or formative assessments to help educators understand and monitor student progress towards mastering state standards. “Scantron’s expertise is in the rapid, accurate and reliable capture, reporting and analysis of student performance data. Coupled with ETS’s expertise in item development, our school and district partners will have a much broader array of standards-aligned items from which to craft valid and reliable assessment instruments,” said Sean Ryan, Scantron Senior Vice President and General Manager, K–12 Education. “This is part of our effort to provide educators with a comprehensive and cost-effective assessment tool set for improving student learning outcomes.” By offering ETS test items through Achievement Series, educators will be able to search by standard, subject and grade level and select assessment items that either best match the state testing blueprint or map to objectives within the local curriculum. As standards are updated, new alignments will be established and items will be both added and retired as appropriate. “Our core competency is in item and test development, so a strategic relationship with Scantron offers K–12 school districts their comprehensive test management solution plus our research-based products and services,” explains Robert Block, ETS Associate Vice President for Business Development. “Scantron’s comprehensive assessment solution combined with ETS’s Item Banks will help educators to develop and administer quality, customized assessments and receive immediate results.” About ETS ETS is a nonprofit institution with the mission to advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services for all people worldwide. In serving individuals, educational institutions and government agencies around the world, ETS customizes solutions to meet the need for teacher professional development products and services, classroom and end-of-course assessments, and research-based teaching and learning tools. Founded in 1947, ETS today develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually, in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. About Scantron Corporation Scantron Corporation (www.scantron.com) helps education, commercial, and government organizations worldwide measure and improve effectiveness with assessment and survey solutions. Scantron provides tools for the rapid, accurate and reliable capture of data with innovative software and survey solutions that leverage the company’s expertise in software, world-class forms printing, scanner manufacturing, and customer service.