Edison Schools Launched Advanced Online Assessment System Wednesday, February 28, 2001 Edison announced that its proprietary Benchmark Assessment System is now being administered online at its schools around the country. Under this system, which was placed online in collaboration with Vantage Learning, Edison's students are able to take these monthly tests on the computer, the assessments are scored automatically, and teachers receive the results immediately. By providing detailed measurements of student progress toward achieving academic standards, this cutting edge system will help teachers tailor their instruction to the specific needs of students and will help schools work more strategically toward higher achievement. The Benchmark Assessment System was designed to provide teachers with ongoing monthly information about the progress of their grade 2 to 8 students toward meeting end-of-grade standards. These assessments, currently available in reading, math, writing, and language arts, take the form of short tests using multiple-choice and open-response questions that mirror standardized criterion- and norm-referenced tests. The results are automatically charted for teachers each month so schools can track their students' progress in meeting Edison, state, and national testing standards. Teachers use the results to adjust their instruction to best meet individual student needs. Back to News...