David A. Sousa Shares BRAIN-FRIENDLY ASSESSMENTS

West Palm Beach, Florida

With an increasing shift in the emphasis on high-stakes testing, school districts throughout the United States are focusing on implementing effectively designed assessment systems to impact student learning. They have no shortage of options. To provide a sound launching point, the Learning Sciences publishing division will release the research-based book, Brain-Friendly Assessments: What They Are and How to Use Them, written by bestselling author David A. Sousa.

Sousa identifies the critical factors that districts should consider when designing and selecting assessment techniques to accurately gauge student learning. Distilling key research findings from educational neuroscience, Sousa describes the development and administration of assessments that deepen students' knowledge. He then discusses strategies that help educators determine what, who, where, and how to assess, and differentiates ways to fairly assess all students, including English-language learners and those who are homeschooled.

"Assessment and testing serve distinctly different purposes in education," says Sousa. "Testing tells teachers what each student knows at a given moment. Assessment, however, gives them a way to continually monitor student progress so educators can provide the feedback and support that ultimately helps to increase learning."

The book is available for preorder from the Learning Sciences International bookstore. Sousa will also present a free informative webinar on brain-friendly assessments, through Learning Sciences International, on January 21, 2015 at 3 p.m. EST. District leaders, school leaders, teachers, and other education professionals are encouraged to register online.

Learning Sciences International, a leading provider of print, web-based and on-site solutions for professional development and performance management in education, supports schools and educational initiatives in 11 countries, three provinces in Canada, and 40 states in the United States of America. The company currently serves 427 school districts; 5,575 school buildings; 311,000 teachers; and more than 4 million students in the United States alone. For more information about the company, visit LearningSciences.com.