ASCD has introduced an innovative Web-based assessment tool designed to provide educators with formative assessments that they can customize for classroom use. Developed in collaboration with technology leader Northrop Grumman, ASCD's new ASPIRE Assessment System^™ can help school leaders gain more timely and actionable feedback on student learning throughout the year.

ASPIRE offers school systems such time- and cost-saving features as

• Test-generation software and test item banks aligned to district and state content standards.
• Forms and tools for online or paper delivery of formative and summative assessments.
• Scoring and reporting software for monitoring and measuring student, school, and district assessment performances.

The significant difference between ASPIRE and other assessment systems is a link between formative assessments and extensive professional development support for teachers. Many large-scale assessment systems are not connected to the classroom-based assessments that teachers use to diagnose and remedy student learning problems. And standardized assessments rarely give teachers any direct insights on how test results relate to their instructional practices.

ASCD, in partnership with Northrop Grumman, designed the ASPIRE Assessment System to help teachers use formative classroom assessments of their students' learning systematically, over an extended period, to determine student learning needs and adjust instruction to improve learning. Using test item banks provided by the software, along with powerful test-generation tools designed to assist them in creating their own assessments, teachers can ensure that formative assessments help them make discoveries about how students comprehend materials. These insights can help teachers select instructional and curriculum approaches that are more likely to move students closer to appropriate learning outcomes.

To help educators overcome the challenge of linking systematic, high-quality formative classroom assessments with teaching practices, ASCD turned to the research base and its worldwide network of educators for feedback. The result is a system that provides high-quality data and effective instructional guidance for positive student achievement.

To learn more about ASPIRE, contact Jean Pride at 1-800-933-ASCD (2723) or 1-703-578-9600, ext. 5634, or send an e-mail tojpride@ascd.org.