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The Princeton Review to Provide Online Diagnostic Testing for Sarasota and Orange County Public School Districts

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 12:00 CDT

NEW YORK, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Princeton Review , a leading provider of test preparation and educational services, announced three-year contracts with the Sarasota and Orange County Public School Districts in Florida. The contracts, to test students in grades 3-10, will provide specific data to help educators identify students that need extra help.

"We are excited to work with the both the Public School Districts of Sarasota and Orange Counties," said John Katzman, CEO of The Princeton Review. "Studies prove that online, low-stakes assessments are the most flexible and cost-effective way to find the students that need help, assess where the gaps are in their skills, and then adjust the instruction to suit them best. It's not enough to test students, it's how you use the results that makes all the difference," said Katzman.

For both districts, The Princeton Review will administer three tests during the school year in math and reading, which can be taken both online and by pencil and paper. The tests are benchmark assessments specifically designed for Sarasota and Orange County schools. Known as the Homeroom Assessment Center, the powerful online system includes an extensive bank of 130,000 questions aligned to the state mandated curriculum.

The Princeton Review will also train teachers to use the software to identify struggling students, and customize lessons and quizzes to fit each student's academic needs.

Formative assessments such as these, give teachers, parents, principals and administrators an early indication of which students are unlikely to score at or above grade level on statewide tests, which are required under President Bush's No Child Left Behind law. Based on data from these tests, formative assessments quickly identify students who have not grasped basic skills or teachers who have not effectively conveyed the curriculum. They allow for early intervention of academic problems so that students can be helped before they are promoted to the next grade level.

The Princeton Review is one of the largest formative assessment providers in the country, working with many states and districts, including the New York City Department of Education, the state of Tennessee, the School District of Philadelphia, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

About The Princeton Review (http://www.princetonreview.com/)

The Princeton Review is a pioneer in the world of education. Its K-12 Services division is the premier provider of assessments, intervention strategies, and professional development for the K-12 market. Founded in 1981 to help students prepare for college entrance exams, The Princeton Review now offers classroom and online test preparation, as well as private tutoring for college and graduate school admissions tests. Its free website, http://www.princetonreview.com/, helps over half of university-bound students research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for their higher education, and helps hundreds of colleges and universities streamline their admissions and recruiting activities. The Princeton Review also authors more than 190 print and software titles on test preparation; college and graduate school selection and admissions; and related topics.

The Princeton Review

CONTACT: Harriet Brand, +1-212-874-8282 Ext. 1091, harrietb@review.com,or Robin Ruskin, +1-212-874-8282 Ext. 1647, robinr@review.com, both of thePrinceton Review

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

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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