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Mississippi Department of Education Selects Pearson to Create and Manage Innovative New Writing Assessment Program

Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute, State Educators to Collaborate With Pearson on Writing Assessment Program Linking Student Results to Teacher Professional Development

JACKSON, Miss., and IOWA CITY, Iowa – Jan. 29, 2008 – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), after issuing a Request for Proposals and evaluating the proposals submitted, selected the Educational Measurement group of Pearson to create and manage its new writing assessment program. The company will collaborate with the Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute (MWTI) at Mississippi State University and state department of education leaders on the development and delivery of this innovative assessment.  

Through the 10-year, $29 million contract, Pearson will provide customized writing assessments for Mississippi’s 124,000 students in grades 4, 7 and 10. A model for linking assessment to instruction, the new Mississippi Writing Assessment will use student test results to develop targeted professional development for teachers. This approach will help teachers ensure that Mississippi students develop strong writing skills and, ultimately, pass the grade 10 writing assessment that is required for graduation. The writing assessments have been in place for a number of years, but under this new contract, teacher committees will inform each step in the process from the development of prompts to the selection of anchor papers for training materials to the confirmation of scoring conducted by Pearson.

Founded in 1985, the Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute is dedicated to improving writing and learning in the state’s schools by offering teachers high-quality professional development that blends best practices and theory and is aligned to state and national standards. The MDE selected MWTI to facilitate the management of this contract based on the rich history of MWTI working with state educators to improve writing instruction.

“This innovative new writing assessment program is designed both to evaluate the writing abilities of Mississippi students and to provide teachers opportunities through their involvement with the process to target instructional strategies that will improve their students’ writing skills,” said Cindy Simmons, bureau director of the Office of Student Assessment at the Mississippi Department of Education. “The key to the success of this new program is the collaborative efforts of the MDE, MWTI, Pearson and state educators. We have high expectations for improved writing performance as a result of this contract.”

Pearson has long partnered with the Mississippi Department of Education for delivery of the Functional Literacy Exam. Late in 2006, the company was awarded a 10-year contract to manage the Mississippi Curriculum Test.

“We are pleased to build on our relationship with the Mississippi Department of Education and partner with the state’s leaders in writing instruction and teacher professional development to deliver this new assessment program,” said Douglas Kubach, president and CEO of the Educational Measurement group of  Pearson. “Together, our goal is to deliver a testing program that will demonstrate how assessment results can be used to transform classroom instruction.”

About Pearson

The Educational Measurement group of Pearson is a comprehensive provider of educational assessment products, services and solutions. A trusted partner in district, state and national assessments for more than 50 years, Pearson helps administrators, teachers, parents and students use assessment and research to promote learning and academic achievement. For more information, visit www.pearsonedmeasurement.com.    

Pearson is the global leader in educational publishing, assessment, information and services, helping people of all ages to learn at their own pace, in their own way. For students preK-12, Pearson provides: effective and innovative curriculum products in all available media, educational assessment and measurement for students and teachers, student information systems, and teacher professional development and certification programs. The company’s respected brands include: PEMSolutions, Perspective, Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, AGS, PowerSchool, SuccessMaker, TeacherVision and many others. Pearson’s comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

For more information, press only:
Lisa Wolfe, L. Wolfe Communications, 773-325-9935, lwolfe@lwolfe.com