Missouri Selects CTB/McGraw-Hill to Administer New Statewide Assessments Designed to Measure Student Progress toward Common Core State Standards

MONTEREY, Calif., Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CTB/McGraw-Hill, one of the nation's leading educational assessment partners, today announced that the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has chosen CTB/McGraw-Hill to administer updated online statewide assessments to measure students' progress toward Missouri state standards beginning in the 2014-15 school year.

The updated online tests will continue Missouri's long tradition of assessing knowledge that students need for success after they graduate from high school. The assessments are integral to accomplishing the state's "Top 10 by 20" initiative, which aims to have all students graduate high school ready for college, postsecondary training or a career – and see Missouri rank among the top 10 states in academic achievement – by the year 2020.

"The State of Missouri has been a strong, longstanding partner for nearly 20 years, and we are proud that it has chosen CTB/McGraw-Hill to serve its public school students and educators in assessing students' academic proficiency," said Ellen Haley, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill. "We look forward to helping Missouri increase the college and career readiness of its students and get one step closer to achieving its 'Top 10 by 20' initiative."

The assessment contract includes English language arts and mathematics interim assessments and English language arts, mathematics, and science grade-level and end-of high school summative assessments. In addition, the contract includes Missouri's full suite of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies high school end-of-course assessments. All of the assessments will be administered online, enabling schools to receive detailed feedback on student performance quickly.

"High quality assessments in Missouri will better prepare our students and improve teaching practice," said Chris L. Nicastro, Missouri Commissioner of Education. "Mastering more complex texts and connecting math concepts to the real world – these are the kinds of skills that today's students will need. They are the skills and knowledge we should be testing."