Six schools across the United States have won the Northwest Evaluation Association’s annual Growth Achievement Award for doing exemplary work in helping their students excel.

NWEA gives the award annually only to those schools whose students show exceptional yearly growth in their learning, as measured on NWEA’s Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) assessments.

“These schools truly are the nation’s super schools in how they are helping their students learn,” said Matt Chapman, NWEA president and chief executive officer. “Students at these schools are learning like All-Stars – in large part because of the commitment of their teachers and school leaders.”

The six schools are among the more than 4,200 schools and educational agencies nationwide and throughout the world that use MAP® and MAP for Primary Grades assessments to measure growth in their students’ learning. The assessments are computer adaptive tests that allow teachers to gauge each student’s precise level of understanding and adjust instruction to help students achieve their optimal learning path. The wealth of information the assessments provide means teachers can differentiate their instruction for every student’s weaknesses and strengths.

The six winners of the NWEA Growth Achievement Award for the 2008-2009 school year ranged from a charter school in East Chicago, Ind., to a small school on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico.

What all six schools have in common are teachers and staff with an intense focus on helping each student learn. Teachers at each of the six schools use MAP assessments to understand the learning level of every student – and then use what the assessments tell them to help each student learn more effectively.

The six schools that won the 2010 NWEA Growth Achievement Award are:

o Ashman Elementary, Richfield, Utah

o East Chicago Lighthouse Charter School, East Chicago, Ind.

o Evansville Elementary, Evansville, Wyo.

o Hickey Elementary, Plano, Tex.

o Milnor Public Elementary, Milnor, N.D.

o Ojo Encino Day School, Cuba, N.M.

About NWEA:

NWEA is a global not-for-profit educational services organization with home offices in Portland, Oregon. We partner with educational organizations worldwide to provide computer-based assessment suites, professional development, and research services. We are passionate about our mission: Partnering to help all kids learn.

Our Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) adaptive assessments leverage over 30 years of research into student growth and yield unparalleled data that informs decision making at every level, from classroom to boardroom. We continue to expand curriculum, instruction, and assessment offerings all in a unified system with our vertical scale providing stability and alignment throughout. Our professional development offerings help educators use data to transform outcomes. The Kingsbury Center at NWEA, our research arm, uses our Growth Research Database to drive original research with universities, foundations and policy makers. Learn more at nwea.org.