New Academic Achievement Test Series Offers Contemporary Norms and Cost Efficiencies

Pearson Assessments introduces new BASI™ (Basic Achievement Skills Inventory) Test Series

August 3, 2004, MINNEAPOLIS— Mental health professionals needing to measure a client’s academic strengths or weaknesses can now turn to a new instrument that will yield relevant data while helping to save both time and money. Pearson Assessments collaborated with test author Achilles N. Bardos, PhD, to develop an instrument in order to offer up-to-date academic achievement testing support for clinical settings, classrooms, special education programs, and correctional facilities.

Following exhaustive test development and validity testing, Pearson Assessments announces the release of the BASI (Basic Achievement Skills Inventory) test series, a multi-level group of tests to help measure achievement in math, reading and language skills. The company is offering a 40% discount on starter kits ordered by May 15, 2005, to introduce the new test.

The BASI test series includes two versions.

These tests yield standard scores, national percentile rankings, grade equivalency, age equivalency, and performance classification by learning objective – without requiring individual administration or lengthy testing.

The BASI series can be used to screen for academic difficulties or giftedness or to help evaluate the basic academic skills of candidates for employment or promotion. In addition, the comprehensive version can be administered to assist with diagnosis of learning disabilities, to help design learning interventions, or to make literacy ESL, GED and other educational program placement decisions.

Clinicians will appreciate the flexibility, relevance and convenience built into the test’s design.

• The complete Comprehensive test can be administered in less than two hours, the Survey version in less than one hour. Subtests, varying in length from ten to 30 minutes, can be administered independently or in any combination.
• Group or self-administration saves the time it would take to administer tests individually.
• Its low basal level captures data from individuals with academic deficiencies while its high ceiling challenges the highest performers, helping to differentiate between gifted and highly gifted individuals.
• The test has shown to be significantly correlated to the leading individually and group-administered achievement and intelligence tests.
• Norms were collected during the 2002-2003 school year using a sample of more than 4,000 students in grades 3 through 12 and 2,000 adults. The norm sample was stratified by race and ethnicity, age, gender, geographical region, and socio-economic status matching 2000 U.S. Census data.
• The series can be computer scored, hand scored, or mailed to Pearson Assessments for scoring.
• Data is reported in a one-page student or adult summary report. The student report includes an optional second-page parent’s report.

“Over the years, our customers have indicated to us their desire for a flexible, reliable measure of academic achievement for use with children and adults,” says Pearson Assessments General Manager Carol Watson. “I am pleased that we can now offer a thoroughly researched, top quality product that addresses this need. I’m very excited about this instrument and the numerous ways it can be put to use.”

For more information on the BASI series and the terms of the introductory discount, call Pearson Assessments at 800-627-7271, ext. 3225. Or view an introduction to the series on the company website, www.pearsonassessments.com/tests/basi.htm

About Pearson's Assessment group

Pearson's Assessment group has been a premier provider of psychological assessments and scoring solutions for more than 40 years. Pearson provides instruments for professionals in clinical, public safety, corrections, medical, forensic, adolescent, education, and career settings. For more information, please call 800-627-7271 or visit the Pearson's Assessments group web site at www.pearsonassessments.com.

Pearson's Assessment group is a business of Pearson Education, the world’s largest integrated education company, which in turn is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.

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