Press Releases
College Board Announces Assessment Tool to Help Teachers Better Prepare Students with College-Readiness Skills
ReadiStep™ Developed for 8th-Graders to Gauge Proficiencies in Reading, Writing and Math
10/22/08
NEW YORK — The College Board today announced the introduction of a new assessment tool aimed at helping teachers ensure that students are on the path to college readiness. Known as ReadiStep™, the eighth-grade assessment is designed to help educators identify the skills that students have and those that they need to develop in order to be more prepared for rigorous high school courses and for college.
ReadiStep is a voluntary, low-stakes test that can be completed within two hours. It is in a pencil-and-paper format and is divided into three multiple-choice sections of critical reading, writing skills and mathematics.
Because results are guaranteed within four weeks, educators can quickly assess proficiencies and adjust curricula as necessary, ensuring that students are on the right track in preparing for college. Scores on the exam are intended as a diagnostic only and are unrelated to college admissions or school grades.
“We’re hearing from states, districts and schools that are committed to creating a college-ready culture. They want students to be capable of achieving not just at basic standards, but at college-readiness standards,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “ReadiStep was developed in partnership with middle school teachers and other education experts so that it would yield results that were accurate, targeted and usable.”
ReadiStep is aligned with the English Language Arts and Mathematics College Board Standards for College Success™, which are national models of rigorous academic content standards utilized by states, districts and schools to align curriculum, instruction, assessment and professional development with AP® and college-readiness standards.
“ReadiStep is a launching pad for students, their families and their schools as they work together toward a common goal of college success,” said Lee Jones, senior vice president of college readiness products at the College Board. “It can help teachers change the course of a student's instruction so that more students realize their academic dreams.”
Designed to align with the PSAT/NMSQT® and SAT® exams to help create a complementary suite of skills-assessing tests, ReadiStep assesses the same skills as the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT at a grade-appropriate level. It is teacher-proctored, administered within schools, and can be scheduled for any time during fall or spring testing windows. The test will be available for administration starting in fall 2009.
Learn more about ReadiStep at www.readistep.com.
The College Board: Connecting Students to College Success
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,400 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.
Contact
Jennifer Topiel, The College Board, (212) 713-8052, communications@collegeboard.org