Harcourt Assessment Receives Technology & Learning Award Of Excellence
Harcourt’s Early Childhood Observation System recognized as high quality education product
5 October 2006
SAN ANTONIO – Harcourt Assessment, Inc. today announced the company was awarded with Technology & Learning magazine’s Award of Excellence for its Early Childhood Observation System (ECHOS™). ECHOS™ was one of 55 products receiving the prestigious recognition this year. Winners were chosen by a panel of more than 35 educator-judges who test-drove the entries in computer labs at San Francisco Bay area schools.
“ECHOS is an innovative classroom product. It enables educators to track the progress of each student, providing teachers with the information they need to cater individual instruction to each child’s needs,” said Harcourt Assessment Executive Vice-President of Education Assessment Products and Services Kevin Brueggeman. “We are excited to receive this award and thank Technology & Learning for recognizing the innovation of this product.”
ECHOS™ is a continuous observational assessment system for kindergarten through grade two learners. ECHOS™ uses a grade-based developmental checklist that measures benchmarks in seven domains based on the guidelines and standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and other national organizations. It offers a detailed evaluation of how each child is progressing toward national and state standards and toward meeting grade-level expectations. Features of the system include observational benchmarks of developmentally appropriate skills, ecological classroom assessment, parent reports, web-based reporting and professional development for teachers. Web-based software is accessed on a PC for data entry and comprehensive, immediate reporting. Software can also be installed on a Palm® handheld device for efficient administration in today’s dynamic classrooms.
About Harcourt Assessment, Inc.
Based in San Antonio, Harcourt Assessment, Inc. is a leading provider of high-quality assessment instruments and testing programs published under two brand names –– Harcourt Assessment and PsychCorp™. For more than 85 years, Harcourt Assessment has been providing insight about children and adults; informing instruction, curricula, and clinical practice; collaborating with educators and clinical professionals; and creating assessment innovations, in order to provide the most effective assessment solutions for the success of all individuals. The company is a unit of Harcourt Education, a global education provider serving students and teachers in PreK through grade 12, adult learners, and readers of all ages. Harcourt Education is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc. (www.reedelsevier.com), a world-leading publisher and information provider. It is owned equally by Reed Elsevier PLC (NYSE: RUK) and Reed Elsevier NV (NYSE: ENL).