WriteToLearn Version 5.1

Pearson is pleased to announce the release of WriteToLearn™ Version 5.1. Beginning August 21st, 2008 WriteToLearn will automatically be upgraded to include the following new features:
An expansion of its content library to include hundreds of popular high school level reading activities in history, biology and forensic science, all from widely adopted Prentice Hall titles.

More practical feedback including annotated sample essays, to help students improve their writing.

Inclusion of speed and “on/off” control settings for the Text-To-Speech function.

Students Go Digital and Improve Their Writing Skills

In today's digital world, students use text messages and email to communicate, with almost 40 percent even using common abbreviations like LOL, TTYL and BRB in their school assignments, according to a recent report. But, is the decline of writing an unintended consequence? The results of the recent Nation's Report Card writing test found that only one-third of 8th graders scored proficient, and only 25 percent of high school seniors were considered proficient. Some teachers say that keeping today's digital students engaged in learning, especially struggling learners, requires a different approach than years past. For teachers like Mae Guerra at Denver's Valverde Elementary School, who says reading and writing was a huge challenge for her students just a few months ago, the digital approach of Pearson's WriteToLearn has helped her students find success.

Guerra combines classroom teaching with the Web-based, personalized approach of WriteToLearn. Students log onto the Internet, input their work and watch as the learning tool analyzes their writing and measures progress. Since using WriteToLearn, Guerra's students have made tremendous progress, with scores on district benchmark tests rising from unsatisfactory to proficient. Guerra says it's because her students are motivated using the digital tool's personalized learning approach, which is almost like a game to the students.
Go to: http://www.pearsoned.com/ednews/apr08pages/writetolearn.htm

Two Minnesota High Schools Choose WriteToLearn

April 8th, 2008 Pearson announced that students at two Minnesota high schools are now using WriteToLearn™ to develop writing and reading comprehension skills. Both schools are using the award-winning Web-based learning tool to help students build literacy skills and prepare for the new Minnesota writing assessment. The schools are Dunwoody Academy High School, a new technical charter school in north Minneapolis administered by Dunwood College, and Robbinsdale Cooper High School, part of Robbinsdale Area Schools in New Hope, Minn.

These Minnesota adoptions come closely on the heels of the launch of WriteToLearn 5.0, which debuted with a number of new capabilities. More information about WriteToLearn is available at www.WriteToLearn.net.

I am so proud of his success

The latest success story for our writing assessment, WriteToLearn is set at an Alternative High School in Washington, D.C.

Walk through the lives of "Robert" and his success with caring teachers as "Karen" and the implementation of WriteToLearn - building writing skills through making the grade.

"He just needed to get over this hurdle and pass the state assessment," she said ("Karen").
"With the help of WriteToLearn, he did it, and I am so proud of his success."

For the complete story, please see the attached and pass along to your clients in consideration of this solution.


You can also find this story at http://www.formativeassessments.com/writetolearn/download.htm

Best practice of progress assessment

Irving ISD Boosts Student Achievement, State Assessment Scores With PASeries Reading From Pearson

Another great story for PASeries in Irving, Texas which is a large urban district in suburban Dallas, that serves more than 33,000 students in 20 elementary schools, seven middle schools and four high schools. Susan Ramos, elementary language arts coordinator for the district said the district was looking for a way to identify students who need extra help and flag problem areas that might be missed in the daily bustle of the classroom, PASeries Reading is helping the district achieve that goal and more.

To learn more at PASeries

WriteToLearn 5.0 Debuts

March 7th, 2008 WriteToLearn™ 5.0 debuts with new capabilities that make it an even more powerful tool for helping students build literacy skills.

With the new text-to-speech capabilities in WriteToLearn 5.0, students can have the hundreds of reading passages in WriteToLearn read aloud to them, a particularly useful feature for struggling readers or English language learners. Using the added dictionary and spot word translation ability in WriteToLearn 5.0, students can also instantly retrieve the dictionary definition or Spanish translation of any word in a reading passage.

The new teacher comment feature in WriteToLearn 5.0 takes the assessment tool to the next level, providing students with direct feedback from their teacher. Teachers can easily add a comment on an essay or summary, and students can view them when they review the summary or essay scoreboard.

Visit our website at www.WriteToLearn.net to experience a WriteToLearn demo.

12 cheers for Pearson Codie finalists

Twelve Pearson products were named as finalists in this year's (SIIA) CODiE Awards.

Honors for Pearson's products span the award program's software, content and education categories. In addition to WriteToLearn, PASeries and Pearson Inform 4.1 of which are part of our larger portfolio of interim and benchmark assessments, the Pearson products recognized this year are eCollege, ELLIS, FamilyEducation, KnowledgeBox, NovaNET, PowerSchool Premier, SuccessMaker Enterprise, Waterford Early Learning-Math and Science and Waterford Early Learning-Reading.

Congratulations to our award winners!

Learn more about our interim and benchmark products at http://www.FormativeAssessments.com

Pre-built benchmark tests

Do you have Title I funds and find yourself wanting to know more about your student's progress and wish you could forecast their achievement on standards?

Here's a chance to learn how our interim and progress assessment can help you identify your students' strengths and weaknesses now, and how your teachers and families can help them achieve.


Register to find out more by attending a FREE PASeries webinar at www.PASeries.com/webinar.

Pearson Inform was recently honored as the best online data analysis product

Pearson Inform was recognized as the best online data analysis product in the 12th Annual Education Software Review (EDDIE) Awards. The EDDIE Awards recognize innovative and content-rich programs and Web sites providing you and parents with the technology to foster educational excellence, including augmenting the classroom curriculum and improving teacher productivity.

Read more about this recognition.