Savvas Learning Company’s New Math Screener and Diagnostic Assessments for enVision Mathematics Grades K-8 Wins Tech & Learning Best of 2021 Awards

PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — January 24, 2022 — Savvas Learning Company, a K-12 next-generation learning solutions leader, is proud to announce that its new Savvas Math Screener and Diagnostic Assessments (MSDA) tool for enVision Mathematics Grades K-8 has been named a winner of the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence Best of 2021.

The Savvas MSDA was recognized in both the primary and secondary education categories as an “educational technology that exceptionally supported teachers and students last year.” The Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence Best of 2021 contest focused on “outstanding products” for supporting teaching and learning in 2021 — no matter the learning environment.

“We are honored that Tech & Learning has recognized our new Savvas Math Screener and Diagnostic Assessments as an exceptional product for 2021 — and beyond,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “It is the perfect tool to use for summer learning programs and to start the new school year, enabling educators to quickly and easily address the learning needs and promote positive outcomes for every student in the K-8 math classroom.

“When educators know more about their students,” Forsa added, “they are better equipped to impact student success.”

Introduced for back-to-school 2021, the Savvas MSDA empowers teachers by giving them deep insights into their students’ math knowledge and seamless access to instructional content to personalize learning for every student. Delivered on the newly enhanced Savvas Realize learning management system, the MSDA can be integrated with the award-winning enVision Mathematics Grades K-8, or used alongside other core math curriculum. Equipped with cutting-edge adaptive technology, it provides a power-packed toolkit that allows educators to test less and teach more, while accelerating learning for all students.

The Tech & Learning judges remarked: "In a post-pandemic introduction to the new normal in education, the Savvas Math Screener and Diagnostic Assessments (tool) enables schools and teachers to quickly identify areas of learning loss, particularly in the subject of math. … This product provides the instant support needed to quickly identify learning loss in mathematics and prescribe a learning path for the student."

Developed in partnership with the nonprofit organization WestEd, the tools work in tandem to generate assessments that are norm-referenced — meaning they compare student performance to grade-level expectations and to that of their peers across the country — and are valid because they accurately measure what they are intended to measure. What sets the comprehensive MSDA apart is that it combines all of the following:

• Universal Screener — Given by a teacher to the entire class, this short screener assesses proficiency in prior year’s skills and identifies the diagnostic most appropriate to assign to an individual student.
• Multistage Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment — This adaptive assessment identifies each student's level of understanding of mathematical concepts, adjusting to the individual’s misconceptions and proficiencies in real time and providing a range of math problems that are on-, above-, and below-grade level.
• Scoring and Flexible Instructional Recommendations — Robust data and reporting from the diagnostic assessments generate personalized instructional content recommended to address the needs of individual learners and the class as a whole.

The MSDA is appreciated by educators — like those in the Canon City School District in Colorado — for the insight it offers into students’ math understanding, coupled with interactive content that present multiple ways to solve a problem.

Renee Watters, a fifth-grade team teacher in the district’s Lincoln School of Science and Technology, said it used to be a time-consuming process, especially for the start of the school year, to review assessment data and identify appropriate resources to assign to students in her two math classes. This year, using the Savvas MSDA integrated with enVision Mathematics made it quick and easy to assess all 47 of her students in just two sessions, while also delivering meaningful content that most engages students and helps to close skills gaps.

“What I appreciate about the MSDA and enVision Mathematics integration is how the diagnostic assessment results point to instructional links and interactive resources directly on the Savvas Realize dashboard, so I don’t have to figure out which resource corresponds with each missed concept,” Watters said. “The MSDA gave me back valuable class and teaching time.”

Tech & Learning's panel of educators evaluated the nominations based on a set of criteria that included the product’s ability to support different learning environments and student needs, value, versatility, and ease of use.

“2021 was another challenging year for schools, so it was inspiring to see both educators and the industry continue to come up with new solutions to support teaching and learning,” said Christine Weiser, content director of Tech & Learning. “Our judges were impressed with the creativity presented by our Best of 2021 nominees, many of whom found new and innovative ways to use technology to ensure students continue to get an equitable education in any learning environment.”