SEGway December 2014
Research and Assessment News from SEG Measurement
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Greetings!
Happy Solstice, Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus... All of us at SEG Measurement wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season.
In this last issue of 2014, we share some of what's on our Holiday Wish list. We also offer some light entertainment, with a report on the recent changes in Elf Certification. You will also find out what's new at SEG, and what conferences we will be attending.
We very much appreciate your interest and support over the past year. We look forward to hearing from you about what you would like to hear about in SEGway in the coming year. Until then, you can continue the dialog with us on LinkedIn (SEG Measurement), and Twitter (@segmeasure).
Sincerely,
Scott Elliot
SEG Measurement
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Our Holiday Wish List
There are a few things on SEG's Holiday Wish List. We do look forward to the gift giving and getting, but we also have some wishes for assessment and research.
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First, we wish that evidence-based education would take hold in the schools. Our children have a right to educational solutions that are based on scientific evidence and that have been proven effective through sound research.
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Second, we wish that policy makers, school administrators and classroom educators would further embrace formative assessment. Frequent assessment, feedback based on performance on that assessment, and tailoring of instruction based on that feedback is critical to learning success. We would like to see less reliance on high-stakes testing and more focus of ongoing, formative assessment.
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Third,we wish for continued success for SEG Measurement, our clients and our many colleagues in the industry. We are very excited about next year as we celebrate our 10 year anniversary and as our president celebrates his 37th year working in assessment and research.
SEG has worked with many educational publishers and technology providers, from start-ups to the largest industry players, to develop high quality assessment programs and conduct sound efficacy research. Please contact us to discuss your needs. Email us or call us at 800.254.7670 ext. 102.
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What's New at SEG
All the News that Fits
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SEG Selected for Who's Who in Assessment and Testing- We were excited to learn that we have again been named to Simba Information's Who's Who in Assessment and Testing. We are proud to join ETS, ACT, Pearson Assessment, and CAE on this distinguished list.
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SEG Measurement Celebrating its 10th Anniversary- 2015 marks our 10th anniversary. We have begun our year long celebration. Look for more celebration news in January.
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Digital Math Tutor Product- Mathematics skills are critical to both academic and career success. SEG Measurement is pleased to have begun work on the evaluation of an exciting new digital mathematics product. It will be interesting to investigate the efficacy of a new digital math tutoring program.
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Reading and Math Screeners- Identifying student's mathematics and language arts needs early in the school year is critical. SEG Measurement has begun work with a leading provider of digital math and language arts curriculum to update their screening assessments to better reflect contemporary math and language arts standards.
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About SEG Measurement
Building Better Assessments and Evaluating Product Efficacy
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SEG Measurement conducts technically sound product efficacy research for educational publishers, technology providers, government agencies and other educational organizations, and helps organizations build better assessments. We have been meeting the research and assessment needs of organizations since 1979. SEG Measurement is located in New Hope, Pennsylvania and can be accessed on the web at
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SEG At Upcoming Conferences
Let's Meet!
It was great seeing our colleagues at the SIIA Education Business Forum in December in New York; congratulations to the Innovation Incubator Finalists! We know how difficult it is to launch a new product without independent proof that your product works and look forward to working with you to get the evidence you need for success.
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Scott Elliot, SEG President, and Larry Jacobs, noted celebrity from EduTalk Radio, at the SIIA Education Business Forum. |
We also just returned from the Zero to Three's National Training Institute, December 10-12, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
We had the opportunity to present research findings for Kindermusik's ABC Music and Me music-based curriculum effectiveness and meet with early childhood educators.
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Look for us at these upcoming conferences:
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Florida Education Technology Conference (FETC), January 20-23, Orlando, FL
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Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Conference, February 2-6, Austin, TX
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Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo & Conference, February 8-11, Hershey, PA
We would love to meet with you and discuss how we can help you build strong assessments and get the proof of effectiveness you need for success.
If you would like to meet with a representative from SEG Measurement to discuss how we might help you with your assessment and research needs, please contact us at info@segmeasurement.com.
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Elf Certification Examination to be Replaced; Linked to Common Core Standards
Following the growing trend, the North Pole has adopted the Common Core Standards and plans to align its certification assessments to the new Standards
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North Pole December 9, 2014- Santa's Workshop, Inc. announced dramatic changes to the Elf Certification Examination (ECE) today. The new Elf Certification Examination will be aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
"The demands of Santa's Workshop have changed dramatically in recent years. A more global, technology-based economy demands far more of Elves than it once did," said Santa Claus, CEO and head of Operations at the North Pole. "The modern economy demands a new kind of Elf--one that can think critically, collaborate effectively, and exercise leadership with the reindeer."
These changes come on the heels of a 2 year, longitudinal efficacy study conducted by SEG Measurement, a leading provider of efficacy research. The study showed that while the current gift development program employed by the Workshop was effective (Effect Size =.30), Elves and their supervisors reported the need for greater emphasis on critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership skills.
"The existing examination will be discontinued after the current holiday season. Existing Elves will be "grandfathered" in and will not be required to take the new test," according to Claus. However, current Elves will be required to participate in 16 hours of Professional Development during the off-season.
Claus indicated "Ho ho ho," shortly before departing for high-level management meetings up at "the Pole."
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