Indiana Enhances Statewide Educator Skill Assessment and Professional Development Program with Web-Based Portal Solution from iAssessment.

Business Editors

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2003

Gateway Presentation System simplifies access to educator assessment applications, training resources and teacher aide materials

through online MyTarget Program

iAssessment today announced that the Indiana Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) has upgraded its Web assessment services for educators with the iAssessment Gateway Presentation System(TM) (GPS).

This enhances the statewide `MyTarget' (http://mytarget.iassessment.org) system, providing educators and administrators in Indiana with easy access to online evaluation and reporting tools, news and announcements, professional development resources and teaching aides.

With GPS, MyTarget can now organize resources into logical categories or channels that are easy to navigate and manage through its online Website for educators. This provides Indiana's 66,772 educators and administrators with quick and direct access to relevant information and tools that can help them integrate technology into the classroom and improve education. Indiana was recently recognized as one of only five states to meet new standards from the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

"iAssessment GPS has enabled Indiana to leverage our existing program for educator evaluation and create a comprehensive, easy-to-use educator portal that goes well beyond assessment of teacher skills. We can now provide educators with valuable resources -- from professional development to curriculum planning -- all tailored to specific teaching needs," said Marvin Bailey, President, Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration.

MyTarget

The MyTarget Website enables educators and administrators throughout Indiana to easily access a wide range of applications and data via personalized Web environments based on pre-selected interests and educational responsibilities. With GPS, MyTarget allows users to zero in quickly on relevant information and applications that can help integrate technology into the classroom.

MyTarget plays the central role in helping Indiana meet stringent new standards for the assessment and full accountability of educator skills under Indiana Public Law 221, as well as under the federal NCLB act. The Personal Professional Development Plan, a core component of MyTarget, ensures that educators statewide are assessed for an understanding of individual skill development needs. Educators can then set goals and, through GPS, access the resources they need to acquire new skills for the classroom.

"Indiana has transformed its successful educator assessment program into a powerful online resource that helps teachers and administrators take full advantage of technology for the benefit of Indiana's students," said Dan Cookson, co-founder of iAssessment. "One of five states nationwide to be recognized for compliance with NCLB, Indiana demonstrates a clear commitment to continually raising the bar in education. MyTarget is an example of how technology can assist educators statewide to enhance the classroom experience, develop new skills and ultimately improve primary education."

With GPS, MyTarget now promotes a new level of collaboration among educators and administrators with the ability to gather input and act upon new ideas. GPS provides the cooperative environment that enables this participation within a district, region or across the state. MyTarget allows administrators to provide targeted announcements to common audiences using distribution criteria that can be as diverse as all teachers in a region or as narrow as a single grade level within a specific school site. This allows a district administrator, for example, to tailor announcements through MyTarget and reach only the appropriate educators.

GPS is a core component of the iAssessment Technology Framework. The CILC also leverages the other core component, iAssessment's Diagnostic Learning System(TM) (DLS) for educator skill evaluation and professional development. With GPS, CILC can expand MyTarget beyond aptitude assessment and professional develop to proactively provide educators with choices through a wealth of new resources that can help to achieve educational excellence. As a result, MyTarget has more visibility with the Indiana education system and is able to help CILC meet state and national standards for assessment.

About GPS

iAssessment's GPS helps schools, districts, regional offices and state education departments realize the full benefit of their resources. The system dynamically leads educators and administrators to meaningful information personalized to each user's own specific needs. GPS can organize and manage onto a single, easy-to-use Web portal, online assets, such as assessment applications, professional development modules, information, research and grant development tools. The online system includes channels that reach targeted groups of educators with relevant information. Channel participants are determined based on educator status, school site, area of focus and personal needs. Custom channels can be developed that integrate all sources of data, including legacy systems, for unification of reporting. This can be set up either as an information channel or via single sign-on capabilities, which provides access to data driving reporting that is often overlooked or unused when not integrated.

About iAssessment

iAssessment helps educational institutions successfully implement Web-based systems and leverage digital resources to improve the overall quality of education. These client-customized solutions help manage assessment and professional development while meeting reporting, grant development and other school system requirements. The iAssessment Technology Framework combines proficiency assessment and ongoing professional development through its Diagnostic Learning System(TM) with online resource management. Its Gateway Presentation System(TM) is a site/role-based content delivery system that manages online knowledge resources, including data and applications. This helps schools, districts and state education departments analyze and understand institutional needs, promote knowledge and increase skill development with a focus on affecting positive change in the classroom. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, iAssessment is helping improve education through more effective use and management of technology for over 400,000 users. For more information, visit www.iassessment.com.