ThinkCERCA Launches Benchmark Evaluation Service

CHICAGO, June 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — ThinkCERCA, a recognized industry leader in student reading and writing growth, has expanded its product offerings to include a start-to-finish benchmark assessment and evaluation service. This includes the administration of the assessments, the evaluation by professional scorers, and comprehensive feedback and data reporting. 

The educational landscape is not a one-size-fits-all model; therefore, benchmarks are an important tool for today’s educators to monitor and improve individual student writing progress.

Schools often administer benchmarks in the fall, again in the winter, and finally ahead of the spring testing season. This practice helps identify students’ academic strengths and weaknesses, guides targeted instruction throughout the year, and sets up students for success on end-of-year summative and high-stakes assessments.

“The results can be empowering to both teachers and students. While teachers leverage benchmark data to monitor progress and inform instruction, students also benefit from taking ownership of their learning,” said Eileen Murphy, ThinkCERCA Founder and CEO. “Benchmark data helps students recognize what they need to focus on, and they often experience a confidence boost when they can see improvement in subsequent benchmarking results.”

ThinkCERCA streamlines the assessment and evaluation process and then guides administrators and teachers through the data to identify trends, develop strategies, and implement actionable steps to improve student learning. The company’s signature Growth Planning Tool provides direct instruction and skills lessons teachers can assign based on each student’s growth focus, assigned by professional scorers when they complete benchmark evaluations for each student submission.

“The most valuable element of this process has been the objectivity the third-party scorer provides. This perspective, coupled with insightful ‘next steps’ has deepened the care we can have for students,” said  Tony Harris, Principal of Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School.

Just as administrators value the instructional insights provided by benchmark evaluation services, teachers appreciate the student feedback and time back to support student learning.

“I loved this process. It was convenient and extremely helpful. With the benchmarks, it allowed more time to focus on other standards. Lastly, I believe my students made significant growth insofar as their writing skills,” said Maria Davis, Cincinnati Public Schools teacher.

Learn more about ThinkCERCA’s Benchmark Evaluation Services here.

About ThinkCERCA
ThinkCERCA’s personalized literacy platform helps educators teach critical thinking skills through close reading and academic writing across subjects. With a research-based framework that teaches students how to construct a cohesive argument, studies show they can achieve an average of two years of reading growth annually.

Contact: Eileen Murphy, [email protected]

SOURCE ThinkCERCA