California gets results with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Schools across California are finding success with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s suite of standards-based curriculum data analysis. The company collaborated with California educators to create assessment platforms that quickly collect and analyze student performance data, evaluate student progress, set achievement goals for individual needs and execute best practices-based action plans.

Recent results from the California Department of Education show that from 2003 to 2008, the number of California students reading at proficient and advanced levels rose 31 percent. Students who scored at proficient and advanced levels in math increased by 23 percent. Additionally, 70 percent more English-learner students, 60 percent more Latino students and 50 percent more African-American students are reading at proficient and advanced levels.
One district finding success with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s platform is the Santa Ana Unified School District, currently using DataDirector to monitor student growth. The majority of the district’s students struggled to complete grade-level work while learning English, and the school board called for more monitoring of basic skills but only had one analyst. With DataDirector, the district was able to give teachers timely feedback and a better methodology for analysis of student performance.

Another school district, Vista Unified, is successfully using Edusoft to identify struggling students and find solutions. The community has a high number of English language-learners, and the district incorporated Edusoft Assessment Management System to help prepare for the state-wide achievement tests by administering benchmarks and classroom exams. Edusoft gives teachers web-based reports, allowing them to view students’ performance and link assessment results to instructional decisions, leading to continuous academic development across the district.