Istation Approved by Massachusetts DESE to Provide Early Literacy
DALLAS, Sept. 9, 2020 — Istation, a leader in educational technology, has been vetted and approved to provide screening assessments for Massachusetts schools in the 2020-2021 school year.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) researched assessments that help educators better understand their students' academic needs during this remote learning period. As an adaptive, research-based assessment that provides actionable data, Istation's Indicators of Progress (ISIP™) for Reading is aligned with DESE criteria.
As the COVID-19 global pandemic increases reliance on distance learning, Istation is offering its new online learning assessment for students and educators: ISIP at Home. This unique program for home-based assessment gives teachers and parents a clear view of each student's progress. Additionally, Istation's Parent Portal includes a variety of resources to reinforce children's learning at home, including printable lessons, books, passages and games tailored to each student's needs.
During the 2019-2020 school year, Istation was one of four approved vendors piloted across the state, and districts had the option of using the ISIP online formative assessment to identify students at risk for reading difficulties. The feedback from the pilot was positive.
"A representative from Istation was always more than willing to answer questions and welcomed emails and was very responsive to questions," said one educator who piloted the program. They also appreciated Istation's professional development, saying it "did a great job of highlighting useful reports and how they could be utilized."
Istation delivers assessments and resources in a synchronous or asynchronous environment while providing students, teachers and parents with blended learning essentials. Its comprehensive ISIP assessment will give Massachusetts educators the support they need to improve reading comprehension and meet proficiency goals with a variety of activities and interactive lessons.
"Driven by scientific evidence and comprehensive research, Istation has been helping educators improve students' core skills for over 20 years," said Istation's CEO, Richard Collins. "We are honored to be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and look forward to serving as a collaborative partner to educators, helping to drive personalized learning for students across the state."
The ISIP assessment measures overall proficiency and abilities and can be taken in any environment. Istation uses assessment data to create personalized data profiles with relevant information on students' progress. Teachers can use this data to plan and differentiate instruction, provide necessary interventions and discover students who may be at risk for learning disabilities, including dyslexia. Educators can also easily share the data from these reports with parents to strengthen the school-to-home connection.