STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Aug. 4, 2015) – Skyward, an industry leading K-12 school administrative software provider, and Certica Solutions, Inc. (Certica), a provider of K-12 data management and education content solutions, today announces a partnership to support the creation and sharing of online assessments through Skyward’s Test Bank Management Solution.
At the center of this platform is Certica’s Formative Assessment Item Bank (FAIB), which features over 80,000 items, including more than 50,000 Common Core-aligned Math and English Language Arts selections. The items in the FAIB can be used by teachers and district staff to help students practice for the next generation assessments. In addition to the Common Core, the items are aligned to state standards and can be used to meet districts’ established curriculum goals.
“Until now, districts have been on their own to purchase, review and compile test questions for their schools,” said Ray Ackerlund, vice president of sales and marketing at Skyward. “Our partnership with Certica provides access to high-quality, rigorous items educators can use to ensure that their students are prepared for success in the careers they pursue after high school.”
One of the key benefits of the new formative assessment solution is that it integrates with existing tools in Skyward’s Student Management Suite to automate the process of recording assessment scores and sharing them with parents. The integration also allows higher level planning and alignment throughout the district, as administrators can design standardized interim assessments to be delivered to all applicable students.
“Certica Solutions is excited about the partnership with Skyward. Educators and administrators will benefit from the combination of Certica’s high-quality, standards-aligned Formative Assessment Item Bank and Skyward’s premier solution for increasing efficiencies and improving communication,” said Mark Rankovic, president and CEO of Certica Solutions. “The combined solution allows districts to improve student outcomes despite being constantly asked to do more with fewer resources.”
Updated twice a year, the FAIB is developed using a rigorous process that includes multiple rounds of review to help ensure that the items adhere to best practices, are grade appropriate, are free of potential bias and sensitivity concerns, and follow the principles of universal design.
The FAIB is optional and available to Skyward users for an additional fee. For more information, download the Product Brief or Contact Us today.
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