Measured Progress Acquires Nimble Assessment Systems
Measured Progress has purchased Nimble Assessment Systems, a Newton, Massachusetts-based firm that specializes in computer-based testing with an emphasis on accessibility for students with disabilities and special needs. Nimble's products help the many students who need classroom accommodations, such as having texts read aloud to them or having text magnified, as part of their Individual Education Plans. In most cases the students are allowed access to the same accommodations when taking state assessments.
Nimble created NimbleTools to provide such accommodations in a seamless, standardized manner. Adhering to the principles of universal design, NimbleTools creates a customized test delivery interface that meets the specific needs of each student and is designed to minimize distractions, so students can focus on the test item at hand. A smooth assessment experience yields rich information about student learning, which in turn helps educators to pinpoint curricular areas in need of greater attention.
Founded in 2005, Nimble Assessment Systems' initial work was to provide the New Hampshire Department of Education with a computer-based, read-aloud accommodation for the New Hampshire Educational Improvement and Assessment Program (NHEIAP). It became apparent that students who may have previously avoided using accommodations due to the potential for negative attention were able to decide when they wanted to hear the text read and to play sound clips repeatedly all without appearing to have any different testing experience than their peers. Since then, the company's work has expanded to other states. In addition, Nimble has been involved with work on numerous federal grants.
"Nimble was established to develop innovative methods for meeting the needs of all students during assessment. Becoming integrated with Measured Progress allows NimbleTools to enhance the development and delivery of educational assessments, ensuring fair and accurate measurement for all students," said Nimble Assessment Systems President Michael Russell. "The end result will help fulfill Secretary Duncan's vision of assessments that are designed, from the start, to provide appropriate access for and accurate assessment of all students."
The relationship between Measured Progress and Nimble Assessment Systems dates back to that early work in New Hampshire. Measured Progress has developed and administered assessments in the Granite State since 1992, first through the NHEIAP and more recently the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). In addition to its general assessment work across the nation, Measured Progress is a national leader in the development of state alternate assessments and has undertaken significant grant work pertaining to students with disabilities. Alternate assessments satisfy federal testing requirements to test students who cannot participate in the general assessment.
The united organizations will respond to requests for proposals for state operational assessments that require the development of Accessible Portable Item Protocol-compliant (APIP) items, as well as computer-based administration of those items. The product of a consortium of states (Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Utah, and Vermont), APIP allows states to ensure that test items are accessible for students with a variety of needs and are portable across computer-based delivery systems that apply APIP standards.
"We recognize that a personalized assessment environment for all students can remove irrelevant barriers to student performance on assessments, providing a clearer picture of each student's true capabilities," said Measured Progress President Martin Borg. "Moving forward, we will continue to build testing systems that embrace the principles of universal design, meet state and local assessment needs in a rapidly changing education landscape and, above all, benefit students and educators," he said.
The partnership between Measured Progress and Nimble Assessment Systems opens the door to promising improvements in the assessment experience for a variety of student populations, according to Michael Hock, Director of Educational Assessment for the State of Vermont.
"We have used the Nimble accessibility tools during two test administrations here in Vermont. The response from teachers has been uniformly positive. In fact, teachers have reported that students who typically refused to participate in testing actually said they enjoyed the experience when the assessment was delivered on the Nimble computer platform," Hock said.
"With the Nimble crew on board, Measured Progress will be able to provide its clients with a variety of new options and technologies for producing assessments that are accessible to the widest range of students," he said.
