Effective early math assessment is a vital step toward reversing the dramatic failures of mathematics education in the United States. Early math assessment is important because national tests of student performance show that one quarter of fourth graders and one third of eighth graders cannot demonstrate basic competence (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2003). These students are less likely to complete school and may therefore lack the basic employment skills required by an increasingly competitive economic landscape. Therefore, math assessment is vital. Without significant improvement in mathematics education during the primary grades, the U.S. will continue to under-perform, leaving significant numbers of students unprepared for successful lives. Without early math assessment, we cannot measure a student's math achievement or development.
Offering a new approach to early childhood and primary level (kindergarten to second grade) mathematics evaluation, the mCLASS:Math early math assessment can yield great benefits to teachers and administrators concerned about promoting effective mathematics instruction and increasing student achievement.
Designed by both experts in child development and mathematics, the mCLASS:Math software helps teachers use standardized assessment and diagnostic interview methods to:
Efficiently measure individual student performance against state standards for mathematics;
Acquire insight into students' mathematical thinking;
Help students overcome mathematics learning difficulties; and
Think more deeply about mathematics teaching and learning.
The mCLASS:Math assessment is used to develop reports that can be used at the district level, helping administrators to:
Review classroom, school, and district data useful for evaluating success in achieving standards; and
Efficiently provide teachers with professional development that involves early mathematics and diagnostic interviewing.
Employing innovative handheld-to-web technology, the mCLASS:Math software was designed by Wireless Generation to make assessment easier and more effective, helping teachers to use data to shape instruction. Preliminary studies of mCLASS literacy assessments show that the software saves teachers time, guides teachers through complex branching diagnostics, and closes the loop between assessment and instruction (Texas Education Agency, 2003).
Wireless Generation, Inc. provides educators with the most advanced system for collecting and using assessment data, helping to create a culture of continuous feedback and improvement in classrooms across the country. The company provides in-depth professional development and training services.
The company offers the leading early reading assessments on the mCLASS platform, including TPRI®, DIBELS®, PALS™, Reading Records, CIRCLE™, Tejas LEE®, and Reading 3D™. Each component features Web-based reporting, analysis, data management, and instructional planning tools to provide a complete assessment solution.
Since mCLASS software's introduction in 2002, more than 100,000 educators in 48 states have adopted it for observational assessment. Today, two million PreK-6 students are being assessed using mCLASS solutions.
Wireless Generation continues to develop new products and services based on its mission of maximizing the educational value of every teacher-student interaction.
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