Making Assessments Work, From District Administration Magazine, August 2005
August 5, 2005
The Value of Prediction
Students at Elmore Park Middle School outside of Memphis began using ThinkLink Inc.'s Predictive Assessment Series in December 2002.
"ThinkLink Learning was a way to identify and address students who were not making at least a year's academic growth in math, reading or English," McDonald says.
The tactic seems to be working. On the state report card Elmore Park raised its grade for value added in math from an 'F' to a 'B' in two years, and raised its value-added grade in reading from 'C' to 'A' in one year.
Administrator buzz about the results has been so positive that what began as an initiative in Title I schools has led to all but three of the 41 elementary and middle schools in Shelby County purchasing ThinkLink from their individual school's budget, says Karen Woodard, testing supervisor for the district.
