Lightspan, Inc. and WestEd Enter Agreement to Provide Assessment Series Aligned to California Standards
Upon completion of this work, Lightspan will be able to provide California educators with assessment tools to pinpoint each student’s strengths and needs measured against the California state standards. This validated assessment instrument will allow California teachers to focus instructional resources and time where it will most benefit each learner.
WestEd CEO Dr. Glen Harvey said: “WestEd recognizes Lightspan’s commitment to provide high-quality, real-time assessments that accurately align to California standards. WestEd is proud to provide its expertise in this area, which is critical to the success of our students and teachers.”
Lightspan’s California Academic Assessment Series will provide educators, administrators and parents with vital information on academic progress based on California standards. They receive this information throughout the school year so they can use the assessment data to target instruction and professional development where it is needed. This makes it possible to manage the teaching and learning process based on informed decisions that lead to effective teaching and strong student achievement.
— Teachers receive accurate, real-time student performance data
throughout the school year that helps them target instruction.
Comprehensive reports identify the needs of each student by specific
California state standard, strand, and objective.
— Administrators receive ongoing, timely data on academic progress at
the classroom, school and district level, which helps them utilize
their resources in a way that maximizes impact where it is needed
most. This could include providing professional development or
stronger curriculum programs in areas of low student achievement.
— Parents receive important information from the school so they will
know how their child, as well as their child’s school, is performing
against state and national standards. This empowers parents and
teachers to work together to help each student where they need help
the most.
“Schools need reliable data on student progress in order to know how well they’ve been addressing concerns about student achievement,” said Lightspan Chairman and CEO John Kernan. Having WestEd, the premier national education research lab, conducting an alignment study will ensure that California educators are provided with valid assessment data directly aligned to California state standards. Lightspan has a track record of providing this data throughout the school year, before the end-of-the-year test, when teachers, administrators and parents need it.”
About Lightspan
Lightspan(R), Inc. (Nasdaq: LSPN), provides curriculum-based educational software and online products and services that increase student achievement and enhance teacher professional development. These products are used in schools and homes and align to all key federal education reform initiatives, offering school districts a complete solution to assess, align, instruct and evaluate, as a comprehensive achievement and accountability system. More than 900 independent studies prove that Lightspan products enhance student achievement, improve teacher effectiveness and help build stronger connections with families. Lightspan offers products in the following areas: early reading (the Lightspan Early Reading Program(TM) and the Lightspan Reading Center(TM)), K-8 interactive curriculum (Lightspan Achieve Now(TM)), K-12 online teacher resources and professional development (The Lightspan Network(R)), assessment (Lightspan eduTest Assessment(TM) and Lightspan Assessment Builder(TM)), and secondary and higher education (Interactive Mathematics, Interactive English, and academic.com). For more information, visit our Web site: www.lightspan.com .
About WestEd
WestEd, a nonprofit research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. While WestEd serves the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah as one of the nation’s Regional Educational Laboratories, our agency’s work extends throughout the United States and abroad. It has 16 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona, Southern California, and its headquarters in San Francisco.
For more information about WestEd, visit our Web site: www.WestEd.org ; call 415.565.3000 or toll-free, (877) 4-WestEd; or write: WestEd/730 Harrison Street/San Francisco, CA 94107-1242.
“Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward looking statements, including statements related to anticipated product features, product development timelines, uses of and results from using our products and anticipated benefits from our relationship with WestEd that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks related to the implementation of our relationship with WestEd, including that the expected benefits will not be realized, risks related to the development of our products, including that they will be completed at the expected time, meet the expected criteria or contain the expected features, changes in economic conditions in the Company’s market areas; changes in policies by regulatory agencies and educational organizations; the volatility of the Company’s expenses and operating results; market acceptance of the Company’s curriculum based software and Internet products; management of rapid growth; risks associated with expanding the Company’s Internet business; changes in funding for public schools; technological advances and risks related thereto and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2002 filed with the Commission on April 30, 2002. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements. These risks could cause the Company’s actual results for fiscal 2003 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward looking statements by, or on behalf of, the Company.
SOURCE:
Lightspan, Inc.; WestEd
CONTACT:
Robert S. Scheid
+1-866-251-6694, for Lightspan, Inc.; WestEd/
Web site: http://www.WestEd.org
Web site: http://www.lightspan.com
(LSPN)
