Bedford, MA. – April 28, 2004

Massachusetts Department of Education Expands Approval of MCAS Accommodations for Students in Grades 6-8 and 10

Massachusetts Schools Choose Kurzweil 3000TM to Aid Students with Learning Disabilitiese

Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc., innovator of reading technology products for individuals with learning and visual disabilities, today announced that the Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) has expanded the use of Kurzweil 3000 as an approved accommodation for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests to include Grades 6-8 and 10. Starting with the spring 2004 MCAS tests, the DOE will allow students in Grades 6-8 and 10, who are already using Kurzweil 3000 in the classroom as specified in their Individual Education Plan (IEP), to use the technology as an accommodation when taking their grade-specific MCAS tests. Kurzweil 3000 is comprehensive reading, writing and learning software for individuals with learning disabilities, which also allows students to take tests independently.

Last year, the Massachusetts DOE approved the use of Kurzweil 3000 for only Grade 10 students taking the Mathematics and English Language Arts MCAS tests. However, due to an increasing demand for the technology accommodation, and a desire to make the MCAS tests accessible to all students, the Massachusetts DOE is working with Kurzweil Educational Systems to extend the accommodation to other grades. To-date this year, over 20 schools and collaboratives throughout Massachusetts, including schools in Amherst, Braintree, Cambridge, Fitchburg, New Bedford and Springfield have requested MCAS tests in Kurzweil 3000 format on behalf of 170 students scheduled to take the tests this spring.

“Over 25 of our 7th grade students have been using Kurzweil 3000 for the past two years and we’ve seen a dramatic improvement in their ability to comprehend written materials, and so we were elated that DOE approved the use of this accommodation for additional grades,” said Sheryl Stanton, special education teacher, Kiley Middle School, Springfield, MA. “We’ve requested the MCAS test in Kurzweil 3000 format for kids whose IEPs already specify the need for reading and writing accommodations, so they can read and respond to questions on the MCAS without teacher assistance. That takes the burden off the teacher who no longer needs to read each and every question aloud to 25 different students. More importantly, it gives individual students the opportunity to easily reread a question as many times as needed to understand what it is asking. And it gives them the chance to possibly score additional points on questions they might otherwise simply skip.”

“This is good news for students in grades 6-8 who need this commonly-used instructional accommodation for their spring MCAS assessments,” said Dan Wiener, Student Assessment Services, Massachusetts DOE in a published announcement to schools in Massachusetts. “Accommodations such as Kurzweil 3000, which are identified for each student, must be consistent with those used during routine instruction and assessment in the classroom.”

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has put added pressure on schools to track and improve the performance of all students, including those with special needs. In addition to its test-taking capabilities, Kurzweil 3000 helps struggling students prepare for the MCAS tests by helping them develop active learning and study skills and increase their comprehension of class materials.

Kurzweil 3000 presents printed or electronic text on a computer screen, enabling students to see text as they hear it being read out loud. They can also see and hear words that they type while they work. This multi-sensory approach allows students faced with learning challenges to read tests and write their answers independently. Teachers can also customize Kurzweil 3000 to accommodate an individual student’s learning style or the testing environment as appropriate. For example, if a test requires a student to provide the definitions of vocabulary words, the dictionary feature in Kurzweil 3000 can be turned off and locked.

Massachusetts’s educators are advised to contact the Massachusetts Department of Education to request MCAS test materials in Kurzweil 3000 format for future grade 6-8 and 10 MCAS tests and retests. Requests must be made at least 3-4 weeks prior to the test date and only if these are already in use by the student. For more information on the MCAS exam, visit www.doe.mass.edu/mcas.

Samples of released MCAS tests are available in PDF format on the DOE website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/testitems.html. Samples of released Grade 10 MCAS tests in Kurzweil 3000 format are available on the Kurzweil Educational Systems’ web site at www.kurzweiledu.com/proof_educator_sampletest_mcas.aspx. These tests are available to teachers and students for practice purposes for upcoming MCAS tests.

About Kurzweil 3000

Kurzweil Educational Systems’ flagship product, Kurzweil 3000, is widely recognized as the most comprehensive and integrated solution for addressing language and literacy difficulties. The software uses a multi-sensory approach – presenting printed or electronic text on the computer screen with added visual and audible accessibility. The product incorporates a host of dynamic features including powerful decoding, study skills, writing and test-taking tools all designed to adapt to each individual’s learning style and to encourage active learning.

About Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc.

Kurzweil Educational Systems, founded in 1996, is the industry leader and innovator of reading, writing and learning solutions for people with learning disabilities, and people who are blind or visually impaired. Ray Kurzweil, a co-founder of the original company, invented computer-based reading machine technology 25 years ago to provide access to printed text for the blind. With a pioneering history in developing assistive technology, the company has received worldwide recognition for enabling people with disabilities to lead more independent lives through improved reading and writing abilities. Kurzweil Educational Systems and Kurzweil 3000 have received several industry excellence awards over the past year from organizations including the Learning Disabilities Association of Massachusetts (LDAM), Media and Methods, eSchool News, District Administration, Technology & Learning and ComputEd Gazette publications. For more company or product information, visit www.kurzweiledu.com.

Contact

Collaborative Insight, Inc.

Hepzi Fonseca
617-357-7713
fonseca@collaborative.com

Collaborative Insight, Inc.

Julie Doucette
617-357-7789
doucette@collaborative.com