PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The state of Arizona will become the first in the nation to formally assess its students' preparedness for a future in the 21st Century classroom and workplace using a new solution called TechLiteracy Assessment. Through a new partnership with Learning.com, the Arizona Department of Education will measure elementary and middle school students' proficiency with information and communication technology.

The No Child Left Behind Act states that by 2006, schools must ensure that every student is technologically literate by the time the student finishes the eighth grade, regardless of the student's race, ethnicity, gender, family income, geographic location, or disability. Arizona will use TechLiteracy Assessment to proactively ensure that its students are meeting both national and state technology standards and goals.

Through a contract that includes professional development and set-up fees, the state plans to administer assessment of at least 25,000 fifth- and eighth- grade students by June 30, 2006. Arizona will target districts and charter schools that receive federal education technology grants. The state plans to use the assessment data for federal reporting purposes, but most importantly, the data will assist the state in educational technology planning.

"Our students are facing a much different workplace than the one that we entered," said Cathy Poplin, Educational Technology Director. "Technology has transformed business and increased the complexity of the workplace. Competition for skilled jobs today has increased greatly and we need to help our students to become tech literate. Additionally, technology used properly in the classroom can engage and motivate student learning in a variety of ways."

TechLiteracy Assessment is designed specifically for elementary and middle school students and its items are leveled for grades 3-5 and 6-8. TechLiteracy Assessment covers the full range of technology tools used in modern classroom settings. Questions test technology concepts and strategies rather than specific brands of computer software, requiring students to demonstrate adaptable technology skills. The assessment can be completed within a 50-minute class period.

A panel of statewide educational technologists selected Learning.com because TechLiteracy Assessment met the majority of the criteria described in the request for proposal, Poplin explained. One key factor was the variety of assessment items, including both multiple choice and performance questions, which are developmentally appropriate for grades five and eight. The same panel also assisted in creating the implementation plan, which will provide districts with flexibility in administering the assessment and will allow ample time before and after the state mandated standardized testing period.

Some Arizona districts, including Scottsdale Unified School District, are also using the EasyTech(R) technology literacy curriculum from Learning.com to help K-8 students develop and apply technology skills that enhance learning across the core subject areas. TechLiteracy Assessment will help districts

like Scottsdale evaluate the effectiveness of their technology literacy efforts, and make data-driven decisions regarding technology instruction.

Although Arizona will be the first state to deploy TechLiteracy Assessment, several key districts throughout the nation piloted the solution during Fall 2005. TechLiteracy Assessment was certified as aligned to the International Society for Technology in Education's National Education Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) prior to pilot testing.

For more information about TechLiteracy Assessment, visit http://www.learning.com/tla.

About Learning.com

Learning.com, the education industry's leading developer of online technology integration and assessment tools, partners with schools and districts to meet their technology literacy and integration goals. The company's products and services help students develop and apply foundational technology skills, provide teachers with resources to integrate technology across the curriculum, and help districts satisfy accountability requirements. Privately-held Learning.com is headquartered in Portland, Ore. For more information, visit http://www.learning.com/ or call 503-284-0100.

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CONTACT: Ileana Rowe, V.P. Marketing of Learning.com, +1-800-580-4640,
ileana@learning.com; or Charlene Blohm +1-608-839-9800, charlene@cblohm.com,
of C. Blohm & Associates, Inc. for Learning.com

Web site: http://www.learning.com/