OWL New Business Announcements

Bethel Park School District is using the OWL TMS for World Language Testing

PITTSBURGH, PA (December 17, 2015) - OWL Testing Software is proud to announce that the Bethel Park School District is now using the OWL Test Management System (TMS). OWL Testing Software is a premier provider of complete, Web-based test management for the building, delivering, rating, and reporting of computerized assessments. The Bethel Park School District is located in Western Pennsylvania just south of Pittsburgh and has current enrollment in excess of 4,000 students.

Bethel Park will use the OWL TMS to build and deliver world language testing including simulated oral proficiency interviews (SOPI). The district will use OWL to test students at the middle and high school levels who are studying Spanish, French, German and Latin. Because Bethel Park has selected the hosted version of the Web-based TMS, there is no additional hardware or software to install. That means the district was able to roll out the technology to their instructors immediately. Language teachers are currently learning to use the software by building their own customized online activities and some have already started delivering practice exams to students.

Many school districts choose the OWL TMS because it offers flexibility in assessment creation. Educators often express frustration with prepackaged computerized activities because they do not adequately reflect the current learning objectives. With OWL, teachers are not restricted by pre-defined tests typically provided by textbook providers. Instead, they can build customized activities that are responsive to current classroom requirements. Additionally, because OWL is accessed over the internet using secure logins, there is more flexibility around test delivery. Online assessments can be delivered to the students where they learn. High stakes testing no longer need be confined to a dedicated language lab.

The OWL TMS also gives school districts a way to realize efficiencies and consistencies in their assessments. For example, OWL’s copying and sharing features allow the task of content building to be spread among instructors. And this content sharing is not restricted by language. With OWL’s target language feature, instructors teaching different languages can share activities by simply uploading their own target language audio prompts. Once created, content is stored in an online item bank. This allows instructors to reuse, and if needed, refine testing activities year after year. Administrators like these features because they improve test building efficiency and create consistent assessment items over time and across languages. Furthermore, results data can easily be retrieved from the OWL data warehouse, enabling instructors and administrators to evaluate overall program performance from year to year, and from language to language.

The OWL TMS offers benefits to students as well. OWL captures and stores digital versions of each student’s oral responses and creates an electronic portfolio. This can be a powerful way to demonstrate and motivate student performance over their entire academic career. What's more many leading colleges and universities use the OWL Test Management System for placement testing. This means that high school students who are familiar with the interface have an advantage when taking those tests.

"School districts in Pittsburgh and across the country have had proven success using the OWL Test Management System to manage all aspects of their online assessments including high stakes world language testing," according to OWL Testing Software Managing Member, Chris Dalessandri. "Our users like that fact that OWL puts control back in the hands of the educators. And once their test content is developed, they find the OWL TMS is an extremely efficient way to evaluate their students using the Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview format. We look forward to Bethel Park students and teachers realizing those same benefits."

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of enterprise-level test management systems to academia, business, and government organizations. For more than 15 years, the OWL Test Management System has been the proven online assessment solution to some of the world’s finest organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any global organization concerned with enhancing the assessment process and improving outcomes.

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Himagine Solutions is Now Using OWL Test Management System

PITTSBURGH, PA (September 23, 2015) Today, OWL Testing Software announced that Himagine Solutions is their newest commercial business user. OWL Testing Software is a premier provider of complete, Web-based test management including: building, delivering, rating, and reporting for online assessments. Himagine Solutions, a U.S.-based provider of outsourcing services to the healthcare industry, is using the OWL Test Management System (TMS) to develop and deliver pre-employment screening exams. Specifically, Himagine has rolled out examinations to test the skills and knowledge of certified medical coders. The outsourcing firm has used the OWL TMS to create coding assessments for various patient interactions such as inpatient/outpatient, diagnostic and emergency room scenarios.

"As a staffing firm in which candidate testing is of utmost importance, we went through an extensive search for an online testing solution that would meet our business needs." According to Angela Kelly, Manager of Training at Himagine Solutions, "We chose OWL because of its impressive versatility as well as its straight-forward functionality for the test user. The OWL team was top-notch in listening to our needs, assisting us with individualized content build, and providing excellent training to our team ahead of go-live."

OWL offers users a variety of flexible online test building and delivery features to facilitate candidate screening. Part of this flexibility is because the OWL TMS is completely Web-based, making it an ideal tool for global recruiting. Himagine worked with the OWL Training and Implementation Team to learn how to use the online test management system. They were quickly able to incorporate OWL into their current recruiting process. Himagine is employing such OWL features as: test randomization, automatic scoring and event-triggered automatic messaging. The Himagine team has also identified possible future uses for the OWL TMS in their recruiting efforts. For example, OWL digitally captures constructed responses. These responses can then be evaluated by recruiters online with the blind assessment feature of OWL’s integrated rating module. These features not only streamline, but also add anonymity to the way recruiters perform oral and/or written screenings.

"Himagine is one of many healthcare industry users who perform candidate screenings or certifications using the OWL TMS," says OWL Testing Software Managing Member Chris Dalessandri. "We have enjoyed working with the great team at Himagine Solutions. We always like collaborating with a new user — especially one like Himagine who is able to look beyond their current process to find opportunities for enhancements and creative solutions. It is rewarding to find ways that OWL can facilitate and streamline our users’ business processes."

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of enterprise-level test management systems to academia, business, and government organizations. For more than 15 years, the OWL Test Management System has been the proven online assessment solution to some of the world’s finest organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any global organization concerned with enhancing the assessment process and improving outcomes.

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CLEAR at American University Using OWL Test Management System

PITTSBURGH, PA (September 2, 2015) OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable Web-based computerized assessments, announced today that the Center for Language Exploration, Acquisition and Research (CLEAR) at American University has selected the OWL Test Management System. CLEAR promotes students’ acquisition of worldwide language skills and cultural competencies through programs such as language coaching and cultural events.

The CLEAR faculty will use the OWL Test Management System (TMS) to perform online assessments of language skills. OWL is part of a suite of tools available to help counsel students on proper class placement. The results of these online language assessments can also help students understand how they rate against their peers and may highlight the need for added instruction.

"It is especially gratifying that a preeminent language research institution like CLEAR has chosen the OWL Test Management System to be an arrow in their quiver of superior language assessment tools.” Says OWL Testing Software Founder and Managing Member, Chris Dalessandri. “We are proud that we have built a flexible, responsive and reliable test management system, and that it is the choice of many of the finest institutions in the world. We are delighted to include CLEAR among our distinguished users."

CLEAR is using the OWL TMS to build a their own computerized bank of custom language assessment tasks. These tasks can incorporate audio, video, images and text to evaluate a candidate’s reading, listening and speaking skills. The Center is also taking advantage of OWL’s multistage adaptive testing feature. CLEAR candidates will complete tasks that will vary in difficulty based upon their performance as the test progresses. Ultimately, OWL will deliver a proficiency level for the candidate that is determined using a multistage adaptive testing algorithm.

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of enterprise-level test management systems to academia, business and government organizations. For 15 years, the OWL Test Management System has been the proven online assessment solution to some of the world’s finest organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to almost any situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any global organization concerned with enhancing the assessment process and improving outcomes.

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Latitude Aviation English Services is Now Using OWL Test Management System

PITTSBURGH, PA (April 2, 2014) OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable Web-based computerized assessments, announced today their newest global business user. The U.K.-based professional training firm, Latitude Aviation English Services (Latitude), is using the OWL Test Management System (OWL TMS) to develop and deliver aviation English language testing services for their clients.

Latitude provides a full range of training and assessment products to corporate and governmental customers worldwide. With a team of language and aviation professionals, Latitude offers flexible services and develops customized language assessment programs with the specific purpose of evaluating aviation English. The company is currently populating the OWL TMS with content for an English language proficiency test for ab-initio pilots and air traffic control officers. Latitude plans to begin test trials in the spring of 2014.

According to Henry Emery, Managing Director of Latitude Aviation English Services “Having researched a wide range of online assessment tools, we chose OWL because it not only has incredible versatility, but it has a sophisticated functionality which addresses all of our exacting needs regarding test structure and management of test data and content. The OWL team is providing first class customer support and we look forward to working with OWL to take our new assessment products to the global aviation training industry.”

Latitude will use the OWL TMS to certify the reading, listening and speaking capabilities of aviation professionals such as pilots, air traffic controllers, maintenance personnel and cabin crew members. With the OWL TMS, they can use audio, video, images and text to create customized aviation-specific test items. Moreover, Latitude can combine and deliver multiple types of computerized assessment items (i.e., reading, listening and oral response) using the same system. Because the OWL TMS is Web-based and captures all responses and ratings digitally, examinees as well as Latitude’s test developers and raters can use the test management system from anywhere and at any time.

“We are happy to add another exceptional business to our ever-expanding list of customers,” says OWL Testing Software’s Managing Member Chris Dalessandri. “It has been a pleasure to work with Latitude as they demonstrate the flexibility of the OWL TMS by applying it to the aviation industry. As a fellow global business, it is particularly gratifying to help facilitate Latitude’s international strategy by providing them with a Web-based testing solution that is available regardless of location or time zone.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of enterprise-level test management systems to academia, business and government organizations. For 15 years, the OWL Test Management System has been the proven online assessment solution to some of the world’s finest organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any global organization concerned with enhancing the assessment process and improving outcomes.

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Columbia is now OWL Testing Software for ESL English Speaking Proficiency Assessments

PITTSBURGH, PA (January 27, 2011) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable web-based testing and assessment systems, announced today that Columbia University in the City of New York is using OWL. Columbia began using OWL this past semester to assess the English-speaking proficiency of International Teaching Fellows for whom English is not their first language (ESL).

Columbia is using OWL to screen incoming doctoral students who will be teaching undergraduates. Based on the screening, incoming students are placed in one of three categories: exempted from further English study, placed in a course for International Teaching Fellow training, or recommended for further testing in the form of a live performance exam. Columbia anticipates screening about 100 students with OWL Testing Software each year.

OWL Testing Software has enabled Columbia University to more efficiently administer oral proficiency testing. With OWL, Columbia can manage, schedule, and administer their ESL exams online. By digitally capturing the oral responses of each candidate, OWL also allows raters to do their evaluations online. OWL’s unique system of digital capture also allows users to control multiple ratings, and captures the necessary data for reporting.

Maria McCormack, Lecturer in Language for Columbia University's American Language Program, directed the selection process. According to Ms. McCormack, “OWL is a good fit for Columbia because it gives us a lot of flexibility in designing our oral proficiency assessments. With OWL, we can design the individual test tasks ourselves, insert our own rubric, record speaking samples, and perform ratings remotely.”

Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software president and CEO, explains, "Assessing the language capabilities of international doctoral students in order to qualify them as teaching assistants is a common requirement at many educational institutions. We are glad that another leading university sees the value in using OWL to facilitate and improve this process.” Mr. Dalessandri continues, “With OWL, universities have the flexibility to use either a standardized speaking proficiency exam or a customized program that has been developed to meet their specific assessment needs.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of test building software to academia, business, and government markets. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of organizations concerned with enhancing the learning and assessment process. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 877.695.3395 for more information.

About Columbia University

Columbia University has grown to encompass two principal campuses: the historic, neoclassical campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood and the modern Medical Center further uptown, in Washington Heights. Today, Columbia is one of the top academic and research institutions in the world, conducting pathbreaking research in medicine, science, the arts, and the humanities. It includes three undergraduate schools, thirteen graduate and professional schools, and a school of continuing education. For more information visit www.columbia.edu.

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Berlitz is now Using OWL Testing Software

GLOBAL TESTING COMPANY BERLITZ IS NOW USING OWL TESTING SOFTWARE TO DELIVER ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TESTING FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWeb) 13 February 2013 – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of test management systems, announced today that the global education company, Berlitz, and its language-testing division, Second Language Testing, Inc (SLTI), are using the OWL Test Management System. Berlitz recently purchased an OWL Test Management System site license to deliver English proficiency exams for one of their large customers, the government of Colombia. Through OWL, they are assessing the English-speaking capabilities of thousands of employment candidates who are bilingual speakers of English.

To date Berlitz has delivered more than 19,000 exams proctored in multiple locations on behalf of the Colombian government. Each test employs both multiple choice questions and oral response items to evaluate an examinee's ability to read, speak and listen to English. Because their language-testing division, SLTI, develops exams to fit the specific needs of each customer, Berlitz requires a flexible test management system to develop, deliver and evaluate the custom-built language proficiency exam. Furthermore, the system must be adaptable to meet the unique testing and proctoring requirements of the Colombian government. Some of the government's specifications include: a localized examinee interface (in this case Spanish), audio prompts in both the examinees' first language and the target language, the ability to deliver Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI) items and the ability to incorporate specific directions items throughout the exam.

Testing center management is also critically important. Automated procedures and safeguards are required to facilitate test proctoring and ensure test integrity over thousands of test takers across multiple locations. For example, OWL auto registration is used to provide each candidate with a unique login id and password. Furthermore, each examinee is randomly presented with one of multiple unique testing forms and items within the selected forms were further shuffled. Using OWL's timing features, overall testing times are controlled and individual item response times are also carefully calibrated to deliver the assessment according to SLTI's detailed specifications.

According to Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software CEO “We are excited about the success of this initial project with Berlitz and their affiliate, Dr. Charles Stansfield's company, SLTI. This project clearly demonstrates how easily the OWL Test Management System can be integrated into a testing company's business model as an affordable way to complete the assessment triad. In this case the three key players are: Berlitz, a company well-know for language learning; SLTI, a firm that specializes in psychometrics and assessment creation; and OWL, a premier provider of web-based test management.” Mr. Dalessandri continues, “OWL provides a test delivery platform that is not only flexible enough to build assessments in the manner recommended by the psychometricians, but is also automated and scalable to deliver that assessment consistently to thousands of examinees simultaneously and securely across multiple locations.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of online test management to academia, business, and government organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any enterprise or individual concerned with enhancing the assessment process and improving outcomes. Please visit OWL Testing Software at www.owlts.com or call 1.412.573.6143 for more information.

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John Jay selects OWL

PITTSBURGH, PA (November 14, 2013) We are excited to share the news that the Foreign Language Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice has selected the OWL Enterprise Test Management System for language placement testing. The school is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Instructors at the college are currently using OWL to create placement testing in 5 languages – Portuguese, French, Chinese, Spanish and Italian. John Jay will begin automated language placement testing for the winter semester with a controlled roll-out this fall. The college plans to test hundreds of students beginning in 2014.

"We are pleased to work with The John Jay College of Criminal Justice as they adopt the OWL Test Management System in their computer lab. They will employ many of OWL's features to enhance assessments in their lab — testing integrity, auto registration, and multistage testing to name a few.” According to Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software CEO, “OWL already has an excellent relationship with the City University of New York through The College of Staten Island. We are happy to see this trend continue by working with another school in the CUNY system."

John Jay College of Criminal Justice selected the OWL Test Management System to deliver their language placement exams in the college's computer lab. Using the OWL TMS streamlines testing in the computer lab environment by enabling each department to deliver their unique assessment through the same online vehicle. OWL's test building component provides the flexibility to create custom items to assess multiple languages, subjects, and levels of proficiency. Specifically, OWL's Enterprise Test Management System allows instructors to create customized assessments that contain audio, images, and text. Furthermore, the dynamic feedback feature enables the school to deliver multi-phased testing based upon each individual student's performance. Because the placement exams can be instantly scored, the prospective student can be presented with increasing levels of assessments to ascertain their highest level of language proficiency.

Further features that will help John Jay to streamline and control assessments in a large computer-lab environment include automated registration and account set up features. These features make creating accounts and assigning tests simple. Single-use codes and multiple options for randomization help to ensure test security. Other controls, such as the ability to time students' responses and to determine how many times students can play an audio prompt, further facilitate and simplify test proctoring.

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of online test management to academia, business, and government organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Enterprise Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution (SaaS) to meet the needs of any enterprise or individual concerned with enhancing the assessment process and improving outcomes. Please call us today if you would like more information about how the OWL enterprise test management system can improve your entire assessment process - 1.412.573.6143

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Yale University is using OWL Testing Software

The Yale University Center for Language Study has Installed the OWL Test Management System for Online Language Assessments in more than 200 Different Languages.

PITTSBURGH, PA (3 December 2012) - OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable Web-based testing and assessment systems, announced today that Yale University is using the OWL Test Management System (TMS) in their Center for Language Study (CLS). The CLS is a resource for Yale students of foreign language and also offers services to students who are not native speakers of English (ESL). The center began using OWL this fall for language testing including coursework and placement exams. With OWL, they can design customized exams for different languages and levels of proficiency. Yale is using OWL to assess students' listening, reading, writing, and oral proficiency in more than 200 languages including many less commonly taught languages.

Yale University has implemented OWL as a means to consolidate several legacy testing platforms into one flexible, comprehensive test management system. By purchasing a TMS site license, the university has further leveraged the benefits of the OWL Test Management System through system integration. Working together, the technology teams at Yale University and OWL Testing Software have integrated the OWL TMS with the Yale student information system. This enables OWL student, class and scoring information to move between the two systems. This information can be shared at an elemental level; for example, rater comments of individual item responses can pass between the two systems. Yale is also taking advantage of the OWL TMS authentication API to verify student identities through Yale's Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) servers. Because Yale uses this method for authentication, students benefit by having only one username and password to remember. Of further benefit, the university maintains a single, secure storage mechanism for user identification across multiple systems.

“The OWL team is proud to add Yale University's Center for Language Study to its community of site-licensed users.” Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software president and CEO, explains, “Because of its superior functionality and flexibility, the OWL Test Management System is used by many of the world's leading institutions of higher learning. OWL users realize significant gains by having all their assessment programs integrated into one test management system. Yale has taken full advantage of the site license and the OWL API to integrate with both their student information system as well as their authentication system.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of online test management to academia, business, and government organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any enterprise or individual concerned with enhancing the learning process and improving outcomes. Please visit OWL Testing Software at www.owlts.com or call 412.573.6143 for more information.

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University of California Riverside picks OWL TMS

PITTSBURGH, PA (June 1, 2012) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable Web-based testing and assessment systems, announced today that the University of California Riverside Extension has selected their software for all English as a second language (ESL)- related testing in their International Education Programs department.

UC Riverside Extension International Education Programs provides certificate and diploma programs designed for advanced speakers of English who wish to study a specialized area to enhance their skills and expand their educational or professional experience. The department will use OWL to deliver more than 3,500 formal and informal exams to hundreds of students and thousands of applicants each year.

With OWL, the University will replace three separate testing systems. For program placement, UC Riverside Extension will use the OWL Test Management System to schedule, administer and assess a well-known English-speaking proficiency test. The software will also be used to evaluate applicants' writing skills for placement in their Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program. For enrolled students, the OWL Test Management system will be used for learning activities, quarterly testing, and end-of-semester competency testing for program advancement.

UC Riverside Extension selected OWL based on the software's superior functionality and flexibility in the three important components of the assessment cycle – test building, test administration and test evaluation. Specific test management features such as auto-registration and dynamic end-of-test feedback enhance the efficiency of program administration. The OWL integrated rater module will allow the university’s raters to evaluate oral language assessments and written samples online and within the same software program. OWL captures the oral and written responses of each candidate digitally, controls multiple ratings, and captures the necessary data for reporting. OWL's reporting module makes it easy to analyze individual and overall program results.

"We wanted to enhance the efficiencies of a variety of programs and replace three divergent testing platforms.” according to Erin Butler, Academic Director, International Education Programs for the University of California Riverside Extension. “We were looking for one platform to use across multiple communication skills and testing applications. OWL's versatile Test Management System was an ideal solution to meet our needs. Because OWL is Web-based and hosted remotely it was easy to integrate OWL into our learning environment."

“We are pleased that UC Riverside Extension has selected OWL to improve the efficiency of their testing center.” says Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software president and CEO. “Because OWL contains item types to evaluate all four communicative modes, it can be applied to virtually any learning situation and is ideal for use in a testing center environment. OWL users have realized real gains at by having all programs integrated into one test management system. Furthermore, the OWL data warehouse makes it easy to create reports and analyze ongoing program performance.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of online test management to academia, business, and government organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any enterprise or individual concerned with enhancing the learning process and improving outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call (877) 695-3395 for more information.

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WVU using OWL for ESL

West Virginia University is using the OWL Test Management System to deliver English-Speaking Proficiency Testing

PITTSBURGH, PA (May 17, 2012) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable Web-based test management systems, is pleased to announce that West Virginia University has installed the OWL Test Management System for English-speaking proficiency testing.

West Virginia University is using OWL Testing Software to schedule, administer and assess a well-known English-speaking proficiency test. Many users employ OWL's online testing software for this purpose. This ESL proficiency test is traditionally administered using paper and cassette tapes. With OWL, users can dramatically improve the efficiency of administering the standardized test by migrating to a computer-mediated exam.

With OWL Testing Software the University can manage, schedule, and administer the assessments online. OWL captures each candidate's oral responses digitally; thus enabling raters to evaluate oral language assessments online within the same application. Furthermore, test administrators can control multiple ratings and capture the necessary data for reporting from the OWL data warehouse.

“OWL empowers users by providing them with a way to expand their use of Web-based technology in every aspect of language teaching and learning.” said Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software president and CEO. “We are pleased that WVU has decided to use the OWL Test Management System to deliver the popular third-party ESL oral proficiency test. Using OWL, the exam can be scheduled, delivered and evaluated through the same flexible online application.” Mr. Dalessandri continues, “West Virginia University ensured a smooth transition by taking advantage of OWL's Test Conversion Services.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of online test management to academia, business, and government organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any enterprise or individual concerned with enhancing the learning process and improving outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call (877) 695-3395 for more information.

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AVB using OWL for Certification

Australian Professional Training Firm using OWL Test Management System to Deliver Certification Exams and Practice Activities

PITTSBURGH, PA (April 2, 2012) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable Web-based test management systems, announced today that the Australian-based professional training firm, AVB, is using OWL to deliver certification exams and practice activities.

AVB is a Registered Training Organization (RTO) that specializes in delivering the FNS10 Financial Services and BSB07 Business Services training packages. The firm serves small to medium-sized businesses in Australia’s financial sector. Using OWL Testing Software, AVB delivers online practice activities designed to train professionals in a variety of business competencies including knowledge of QuickBooks™. AVB will also use OWL to administer standardized certification exams in proctored locations across Queensland.

"AVB's use of OWL to certify accounting and business competencies is another demonstration of OWL test management system’s flexibility. The OWL TMS is designed to provide practice activities, quizzes, certification and high-stakes testing in virtually any field of learning. We are also pleased to expand the geographic penetration of OWL further into Oceania. This is another demonstration of our commitment to supporting a diverse group of global customers.” said Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software president and CEO.

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of online test management to academia, business, and government organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items to assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any enterprise or individual concerned with enhancing the learning process and improving outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 1.412.573.6143 for more information.

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Columbia, Cornell and Yale now Using OWL Test Management System

Three More Top Schools have selected the OWL Test Management System for Language Assessments

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWeb) 20 February 2014 -- OWL Testing Software announced today that the universities of Columbia, Cornell and Yale and are using the OWL Test Management System for their Shared Course Initiative. The Shared Course Initiative is a cooperative learning program coordinated by the language centers at each of the three schools. Instructors participating in this Shared Course Initiative will use the OWL Test Management System (TMS) to manage language assessments for Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL).

The three universities, Columbia, Cornell and Yale, have created the Shared Course Initiative as a way to expand course offerings across their institutions. Students of less commonly taught languages can access the resources and expertise of a partner university for instruction in those languages not taught at their school of register. Through the initiative, the schools can combine the students of these less-prevalent language courses to make of the most effective use of instructional expertise – thus allowing a wider variety of LCTL  courses to be offered more frequently. This year the languages offered through the initiative include: Bengali, Dutch, Khmer, Tamil, Classical Tibetan, Ukrainian, and isiZulu. These courses are not online courses, but rather classes offered using video conferencing. So that a student from Columbia University, for example, can interact directly with their professor from Yale University. The professors from all three universities will use the OWL Test Management System to build, deliver and rate tests remotely and in a common delivery format.

“The Shared Course Initiative is excited to be able to have access to the OWL Test Management System in order to address some of its needs in the area of language assessment. As one can imagine, the task of assessing language learners across multiple institutions, in a number of languages, and for different purposes is daunting. It requires a robust and versatile system that allows for building, deploying and rating tests remotely and in real time. We believe that OWL is such a system and that it will help us successfully meet these challenges thereby allowing us to fully address our needs in terms of assessment.” says Stephane Charitos, Director of the Language Resource Center at Columbia University.

One of the many features that makes the OWL TMS a great fit for this particular learning model is the system's ability to capture and store digital audio files from oral assessments. For example, a professor from Cornell University can log into the OWL TMS and review and rate a Yale student's responses. That instructor can also leave textual and audio comments or a sample of the proper pronunciation beside the student's response. Then, by logging into their OWL account, the Yale student can not only read or replay their response to an item, but they also can review their Cornell professor's comments about their performance.

"Two of the three universities, Columbia University and Yale University, already use the OWL Test Management System for in class exams, candidate screening and placement testing." According to managing member, Chris Dalessandri, "It is always gratifying when our current customers are so satisfied with our TMS that they look for innovative ways to expand its use. Because it is so flexible, OWL users can benefit from the convenience of applying one test management system to many different assessment needs."

Large enterprises worldwide choose OWL Testing Software because the company delivers a well-engineered, well-supported solution for all their assessment cycle needs. The OWL TMS is a complete platform for building, delivering, rating and reporting online assessments in a variety of languages. And, the test management system includes many features to ensure consistent testing from remote locations. Instructors can build customized testing items and include examples using text, images, audio and video files. Features such as virtual keyboards, item timers and audio recorders make the OWL TMS ideal for assessing a student's ability to understand and speak a language.

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of enterprise-level test management systems to academia, business, and government organizations. For 15 years, the OWL Test Management System has been the proven online assessment solution to some of the world’s finest organizations. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of any global organization concerned with enhancing the assessment process and improving outcomes. Please visit OWL Testing Software at www.owlts.com, or call (412) 573-6143 for more information.

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College of Staten Island-CUNY selects OWL Testing Software

PITTSBURGH, PA (January 18, 2011) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable web-based testing and assessment systems, announced today that the Department of Modern Languages at the College of Staten Island (CSI)/City University of New York (CUNY) is using OWL Testing Software. The department is using OWL for oral language testing of more than 800 students for all proficiency levels of French, Spanish and Italian. The Department of Modern Languages plans to expand their use of the language assessment software to include Mandarin Chinese and Basic Arabic in the Spring 2011 semester.

The Department of Modern Languages at the College of Staten Island/CUNY selected OWL based on the software's superior functionality and flexibility in the three important components of the assessment cycle – test building, test administration and test evaluation. Specifically, the Department of Modern Languages sited OWL's integration of multimedia into oral tests as critical. Also, the ability to design customized exams for different languages and levels of proficiency was an important contribution to their choice of OWL. Furthermore, the Department of Modern Languages chose OWL for the software's many features that help to control assessments in a large language- or computer-lab environment. For example, multiple options for randomization help ensure student integrity. Other controls, such as the ability to time students' responses and control how many times students can see or hear an input for video and audio questions, further facilitate and control test proctoring.

The Department of Modern Languages also sited OWL's robust online assessment module as a key determining factor. With OWL, the department can design built-in rubrics and apply different rubrics to different parts of an oral exam. Also important is OWL's voice and text feedback system which allows raters to give direct verbal feedback to the test taker. This feature both automates and enhances the language learning process.

“As a Language Lab Director, one of my top priorities is to find ways to gain efficiencies and free valuable lab resources.” According to Valeria Belmonti, Director of the Modern Languages Media Center at the College of Staten Island, “In this regard, it is extremely beneficial to use one platform across multiple languages and levels of learning. Training efficiencies are quickly realized by having students and professors using the same software. By selecting a versatile online assessment software that is hosted remotely, those efficiencies are further amplified.” Ms. Belmonti continues, “OWL's ability to generate reports makes it easy to record and analyze the results of our programs.”

“The OWL Hosting Team is happy to serve the Department of Modern Languages at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York.” Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software president and CEO, explains, “OWL Testing Software's Web-based platform for language assessments is used by organizations around the world. By selecting OWL, The Department of Modern Languages reinforces the college's goal of providing a state-of-the-art, global classroom for all students.” Mr. Dalessandri continues, “We look forward to working with CSI/CUNY's Department of Modern Languages to further understand the efficiencies that using OWL contributes to a large language-lab environment.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of test building software to academia, business, and government markets. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of organizations concerned with enhancing the learning and assessment process. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 877.695.3395 for more information.

About CUNY/College of Staten Island

The College of Staten Island (CSI) is a senior college of The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s leading urban university, offering master’s, bachelor’s, and associate’s degrees in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies to approximately 14,000 students. The 204-acre landscaped campus of CSI, the largest in NYC, is fully accessible and contains an advanced, networked infrastructure to support technology-based teaching, learning, and research. Master’s programs at CSI include Biology; Business Management; Cinema & Media Studies; Computer Science; Education (Childhood (Elementary), Adolescence (Secondary), and Special Education); English; Environmental Science; History; Liberal Studies; Mental Health Counseling; Neuroscience, Mental Retardation, and Developmental Disabilities; and Nursing (Adult Health and Gerontological). In addition to the 43 undergraduate and 15 Master’s degree programs, students at CSI can earn a Post Master’s in Leadership in Education and Nursing (Adult Health and Gerontological), as well as advanced certificates in Nursing (Cultural Competence and Nursing Education.) CSI participates in the University’s Macaulay Honors College. CSI is also home to the Teacher Education Honors Academy and The Verrazano School, a selective program that expands upon the college’s successful Learning Communities model. CSI offers Doctoral programs jointly with The Graduate Center of The City University of New York in Biochemistry, Biology (Neuroscience), Chemistry, Computer Science, Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Physics. For more information please visit: www.csi.cuny.edu or www.csitoday.com or www.ml.csi.cuny.edu.

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NYU-SCPS chooses OWL Testing Software

PITTSBURGH (September 20, 2010) – The New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS) has selected OWL Testing Software for use in two departments within the Division of Liberal Studies and Allied Arts–the American Language Institute and the Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpreting Program. NYU-SCPS is NYU’s fourth largest graduate school and fifth largest undergraduate college and is widely known as one of the most respected post-baccalaureate continuing education programs in the United States. OWL Testing Software is a premier provider of affordable Web-based testing and assessment systems for academia, government, and business users. NYU-SCPS will begin using OWL for the Fall 2010 semester.

The NYU-SCPS departments intend to use the OWL language assessment software for two specific purposes – unauthenticated and authenticated assessment. The American Language Institute will be using OWL for unauthenticated assessment. English as a Second Language (ESL) students will use the Web-based software to self-assess their English-speaking ability. The results will enable students to make better choices about placement decisions. The Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpreting Program will be using OWL for assessing graduate-level candidates’ translation capabilities. The results of these authenticated assessments will factor into the department’s placement process.

Patrick Miller, Chief Information and Technology Officer for NYU-SCPS, explains, “The department directors have similar goals but different means for achieving them. We were searching for one online solution that was not only affordable but also flexible enough to meet the distinctive needs and challenges of language teaching for our two different programs. We found OWL to be an exceptional way to address their specific needs.”

According to OWL Testing Software president and CEO, Chris Dalessandri, “We are pleased to add New York University to our list of distinctive higher education customers. I think NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies chose OWL because of its extensive capabilities and comprehensive functionality for the entire assessment cycle -- authoring, scheduling, administering, rating, and reporting.” Dalessandri continues, “SCPS found OWL to be an ideal way to upgrade from paper-based and legacy-computerized assessment tools to OWL’s robust Web-based system.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of language test building software to academia, business, and government markets. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of the largest and smallest schools, businesses, and government agencies concerned with enhancing the language learning process and outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 877.695.3395 for more information.

About the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies

Established in 1934, NYU-SCPS www.scps.nyu.edu is one of NYU’s several degree-granting schools and colleges, each with a unique academic profile. The reputation of NYU-SCPS arises from its place as the NYU home for study and applied research related to key knowledge-based industries where the New York region leads globally. This is manifest in the School’s diverse graduate, undergraduate, and continuing education programs in fields such as Real Estate and Construction Management; Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management; Global Affairs; Philanthropy and Fundraising; Graphic Communications Media, Publishing, and Digital Arts; Human Capital Management, Marketing, and Public Relations; with complementary strengths in the Liberal and Allied Arts, Translation and Interpreting, Management and Information Technology, and Finance and Taxation. More than 100 distinguished full-time faculty members collaborate with an exceptional cadre of practitioner/adjunct faculty and lecturers to create vibrant professional and academic networks that attract some 4,200 degree-seeking students from every corner of the region and the world. In addition, the School fulfills the recurrent continuing higher education needs of local and professional communities, as evidenced by 55,000 annual enrollments in individual courses, specialized certificate programs, conferences, workshops, seminars, and public events.

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Anchorage expands use of OWL

Anchorage School District using OWL Testing Software for Oral Proficiency Workshops in Five Languages

PITTSBURGH, PA (April 8, 2011) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable online testing and assessment systems, announced today that Anchorage School District is expanding their use of OWL. The Alaskan school district has installed OWL's online testing software to facilitate foreign language oral proficiency workshops in Spanish, German, French, Japanese, and Russian. The workshops are based on the popular Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI) type of high stakes testing.

OWL Testing Software offers Anchorage School District an efficient alternative for administering oral proficiency assessments that, traditionally, have been delivered using test booklets and two tape recorders. Using OWL, the district can administer the entire assessment online through their computer network using a single piece of software. This includes capturing students' speaking samples digitally and allowing the district's world language raters to evaluate and provide feedback to those speaking samples online. OWL also captures the data necessary for performance reporting and has a module for communicating with students.

The large scope of Anchorage School District, both in terms of geographic size and student population, can make the traditional manner of administering oral proficiency interviews difficult. OWL Testing Software offers a solution for delivering language workshops that leverages the district's existing computer network to manage, schedule, deliver and rate the student's foreign language capabilities at their existing locations. This alleviates the burden of bringing students together in a single location or language laboratory.

Chris Dalessandri, president and CEO of OWL Testing Software, explains, “Many of our customers use OWL for SOPI-like testing. OWL's long-standing customers have done validation studies over several years successfully correlating the tests delivered through OWL with those given by certified OPI raters.” Mr. Dalessandri continues, "With close to 50,000 students and a geographic size resembling the state of Maryland, Anchorage School District is a perfect example of how our software allows districts to leverage their existing technology investment to facilitate distance learning. Moreover, OWL empowers our clients by providing them with a way to build and expand their use of technology in every aspect of language teaching and learning.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of online test building software to academia, business, and government. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of organizations concerned with enhancing the learning and assessment process. For more information, please visit www.owlts.com or call 1.412.573.6143.

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University of TN at Knoxville installs OWL

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) Installs OWL Testing Software for English Speaking Proficiency (ESL) Testing

PITTSBURGH (July 20, 2010) – The University of Tennessee at Knoxville and OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable web-based testing and assessment systems, announced today that the University’s graduate school has installed OWL’s language testing software as the solution for their English speaking proficiency tests.

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is using OWL Testing Software to schedule, administer and assess a well-known English speaking proficiency test. The University is using the test to evaluate the English-speaking skills of graduate school applicants for whom English is not their native language. OWL Testing Software has enabled the University to improve dramatically the efficiency of administering the test. The OWL software also allows the University’s raters to evaluate those oral language assessments online.

OWL Testing Software provides a web-based alternative to administering the oral proficiency test in the traditional manner, with cumbersome paper and cassette tapes. With OWL Testing Software the University can manage, schedule, and administer the tests. OWL also captures the oral responses of each candidate digitally, controls multiple ratings, and captures the necessary data for reporting.

"We will be using OWL for all language assessments this year.” Dr. Beth Bradley, coordinator of the spoken English testing program at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, explains. “We were very impressed with the success of our pilot testing and how easily we were able to upload the test content to OWL. The rating and reporting features in OWL are valuable tools to more efficiently evaluate speaking proficiency.”

Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software president and CEO, said, "We are pleased that the University of Tennessee at Knoxville has partnered with OWL to deliver a third party ESL oral proficiency test through our software. Many institutions use this test to evaluate their students. With the flexibility of our application, the exam can be delivered and evaluated through a state-of-the-art platform.” Dalessandri continues, “Perhaps more importantly, OWL empowers our clients by providing them with a way to build and expand their use of web-based technology in every aspect of language teaching and learning.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of language test building software to academia, business, and government markets. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of the largest and smallest schools, businesses, and government agencies concerned with enhancing the language learning process and outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 412.573.6143 for more information.

About UTK

From ever-increasing research dollars to affordability and value, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is recognized by many for its high-quality programs and initiatives that prepare students to thrive in a global economy. As the state's flagship, research-intensive university, UT is the state’s leader in promoting education, research and public service and continues to strengthen its impact on the citizenry of Tennessee. For more information visit www.utk.edu.

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Information and Communications Technology Council using OWL

Canada's Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) has selected OWL for their Workshops Online

PITTSBURGH (July 6, 2010) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable, web-based language testing and assessment systems, is proud to announce that the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) has selected OWL Testing Software. ICTC is a not-for-profit council, dedicated to creating a highly educated, prepared and diverse workforce, including integrating Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) into Canada's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. ICTC will use OWL to enhance their Workshops Online, an online, e-learning tool for newcomers to Canada and their stakeholders.

According to ICTC President Paul D. Swinwood, “In researching potential software products, we found OWL to offer exceptional flexibility and functionality with respect to creating customized questions and tests, and supporting multiple language requirements. We are excited to see what kind of opportunities OWL Testing Software can provide.”

ICTC and OWL have signed a three-year agreement to install OWL Testing Software at the Council. The two organizations are currently collaborating to integrate OWL with ICTC’s Workshops Online.

“Our collaboration with the Information and Communications Technology Council is an ideal fit for OWL Testing Software,” says Chris Dalessandri, president and CEO of OWL. “Improving communication skills in the workplace is a key component of OWL’s mission to improve the language learning process to ultimately advance cross-language communication and cultural awareness in the age of a global economy.” Mr. Dalessandri continues, “I think what ICTC found so appealing about OWL was that it offered a comprehensive solution to help immigrating professionals improve their language skills.”

About ICTC

A not-for-profit sector council, the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) strives to create a prepared, diverse and highly educated Canadian ICT industry and workforce. ICTC is a catalyst for change, pushing for innovations that will provide standards, labor market intelligence, career pathways and immigration for the Canadian ICT industry, educators and governments. We forge partnerships that will help develop the quantity and quality of ICT professionals needed to maintain and improve Canada’s position as a leader in the global marketplace. For more information visit: www.ictc-ctic.ca To learn more about Workshops Online visit www.ictc-ctic.ca/workshopsonline.

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of language test building software to academia, business, and government markets. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of the largest and smallest schools, businesses, and government agencies concerned with enhancing the language learning process and outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 412.573.6143 for more information.

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Poudre selects OWL

Poudre School District selects OWL Testing Software for Foreign Language Students

PITTSBURGH (March 1, 2010) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable, web-based testing and assessment systems, is proud to announce that Poudre School District in Fort Collins Colorado is now using OWL Testing Software. Poudre has installed the OWL application at their data center, and has already used the software to evaluate more than 2000 of the district’s language learning students.

OWL Testing Software is an industry-leading application for assessing students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. OWL also provides teachers and administrators with test authoring, scheduling, rating/scoring, and reporting capabilities.

“We chose the OWL software because it is much more than a high-stakes, year-end testing program. It is a tool that can be used everyday in the classroom to help students and instructors improve the language learning experience,” says Bethany Brown, Poudre World Language Facilitator. Ms. Brown coordinated the discovery, analysis and selection process for Poudre School District.

With nearly 5000 language students, Poudre is using OWL to overcome many of the hurdles associated with language practice and assessment. Because assignments can be customized at an individual student level, OWL is a valuable tool for delivering differentiated instruction and assessment. Instructors can tailor activities to accommodate students at any level of proficiency in any language. Furthermore, OWL’s web-based platform allows students and instructors to access the program from any computer with a web browser. Rather than reserving time in a traditional foreign language lab, instructors can use more readily available computer labs for classroom activities.

“Why assess a student if you are not going to do something with the data to help them,” Ms. Brown continues. “There are very special assessment needs for language learning. An instructor not only needs to assess if students are acquiring the basic skills – grammar, vocabulary, accents; but they also need to evaluate the performance aspect of learning. What can a student do with their skills? Can they apply them to a real-life situation? OWL marries both these needs in one convenient, accessible tool.”

The OWL application addresses three major concerns of today’s language instructors – summative assessment, formative assessment and Response to Intervention (RTI). Like most testing programs, OWL Testing Software can provide a summative assessment of a student’s capabilities upon exiting a program. What makes OWL’s application unique is its use in the formative assessment process. With OWL, instructors can create activities to assess a student’s ability to apply their learning. For example, an instructor can use OWL to take an oral sample of a student ordering from a menu or giving directions. Finally, OWL offers an organized way to gather writing assessments and monitor student achievement to manage efficiently Response to Intervention (RTI) mandates.

“We are excited to partner with Poudre School District’s exceptional language learning program,” says Chris Dalessandri, president and CEO of OWL Testing Software. “I think what Poudre found so appealing about OWL is its built-in flexibility. They did not want to be forced into a pre-packaged testing solution. With OWL, Poudre is using the same test items that they had previously designed to meet their specific needs.” Dalessandri continues, “Because Poudre's instructors rate their students, there is a ’wash back effect’ that helps to improve instruction. By using OWL's data collection, reporting and analysis on an individual activity at the student, teacher, class and district level, Poudre can access performance and improve instruction at every level.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of language test building software to academia, business, and government markets. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of the largest and smallest schools, businesses, and government agencies concerned with enhancing the language learning process and outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 412.573.6143 for more information.

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Lewis University Chooses OWL Testing Software

Lewis University Chooses OWL Testing Software for Web-Based Foreign Language Proficiency Testing

PITTSBURGH (June 2, 2009) – Lewis University, a top private Midwestern university, and OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable Web-based testing and assessment systems for academia, government, and business users, are proud to announce that students and teachers in the University’s foreign language program will begin using OWL’s assessment solutions. Software hosted at OWL’s data center will be used for testing reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills; as well as for test authoring, scheduling, rating, and reporting.

Serafima Gettys, Ph.D., assistant professor and coordinator of foreign language programs, led the discovery and analysis of language testing solutions for Lewis. She is certified as an American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) rater.

Dr. Gettys selected OWL software because it is portable, flexible, and eliminates time and space constraints—with no need for administrators and test subjects to be in the same physical location at the same time. In addition, Lewis’ faculty may repurpose their tried and proven legacy content, as well as add new, validated Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI) type content from the OWL Community Library—free of charge.

“OWL is a perfect solution for us,” says Dr. Gettys. “The software is affordable and exceptionally easy to use, can be accessed from anyplace there is a computer with a Web browser, and works with all languages.”

The University’s foreign language program includes classes in Spanish, French, and German; as well as less commonly taught languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian.

“Lewis University’s tradition of excellence includes promoting understanding, acceptance, and appreciation of foreign cultures,” says Chris Dalessandri, president and CEO of OWL. “We’re proud to help them strengthen and perpetuate that tradition through the use of our unique technology designed specifically for improving language and cultural education.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of language test building software to academia, business, and government markets. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of the largest and smallest schools, businesses, and government agencies concerned with enhancing the language learning process and outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 412.573.6143 for more information.

About Lewis University

A Catholic university sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The 10th largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the fifth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. For more information please visit www.lewisu.edu.

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UT Knoxville Selects OWL Testing Software

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville Selects OWL Testing Software for Administering English Proficiency Testing

PITTSBURGH (May 18, 2009) – OWL Testing Software, a premier provider of affordable Web-based testing and assessment systems for academia, government, and business users announced today that the graduate school at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville has chosen OWL as the solution for scheduling, administering, and assessing their English speaking proficiency tests. The well-known speaking proficiency English assessment kit is licensed through a non-profit test development organization. It is commonly used by schools like the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to assess the English speaking skills of individuals—in this case, applicants to the University of Tennessee’s graduate school—who are not native speakers of English. OWL was selected because it will dramatically improve the efficiency of that process, as well as empower the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a platform on which to build and expand their use of Web-based technology in every aspect of language teaching and learning.

Dr. Beth Bradley, coordinator, spoken English testing program explains. "We created the spoken English testing program here at The University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1983 in response to a mandate from the Tennessee General Assembly that all instructional personnel be proficient in spoken English. All prospective teaching assistants or associates whose native language is not English are required to take and pass the spoken English test before they can assume teaching responsibilities here. That process currently requires us to use cassette tapes which, because we do multiple ratings, can become more than a bit cumbersome and tedious. It also doesn’t allow for a systematic way to gather and report on the outcomes of these tests very easily. OWL solves these problems and more. We’ll still use the same licensed test content but instead of paper and cassette tapes we’ll use OWL’s Web-based system. OWL allows us to manage, schedule, and administer the tests, capture the oral responses of each candidate digitally, control multiple ratings, and capture the necessary data for reporting that was either difficult or impossible to do before."

"We’ve evaluated multiple testing solutions and none were as easy to use, intuitive, robust, or powerful as OWL," added Doug Canfield, coordinator of the language resource center at The University of Tennessee at Knoxville. "Compared with other software we’ve tried, I expect to have far fewer questions and more adoption from faculty now that we’ll be using OWL."

Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software president and CEO, said, "I’m extremely proud that we’ve been selected by such a prestigious institute as the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The breadth and diversity of scholarship along with the commitment to academic excellence at the University of Tennessee is well known. Everyone at OWL Testing Software feels the same great sense of pride. We’re all looking forward to being a technology partner to everyone at The University of Tennessee for years to come."

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is a leading provider of language test building software to academia, business, and government markets. Built as a Web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills—oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of the largest and smallest schools, businesses, and government agencies concerned with enhancing the language learning process and outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 412.573.6143 for more information.

About the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

From ever-increasing research dollars to affordability and value, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is recognized by many for its high-quality programs and initiatives that prepare students to thrive in a global economy. As the state's flagship, research-intensive university, UT is the state’s leader in promoting education, research and public service and continues to strengthen its impact on the citizenry of Tennessee. www.utk.edu/

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MIIS Chooses OWL Testing Software

Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) Chooses OWL Testing Software for Language Assessment and Program Evaluation Expertise

MONTEREY, Calif. (Nov. 17, 2008) – For students studying the teaching of foreign languages at Monterey Institute of International Studies, there's more to their coursework than the standard grammar, linguistics, and pedagogical training. Emphasis at the Institute's renowned Graduate School of Language and Educational Linguistics expands beyond language expertise and teaching theory to include courses in language assessment.

A required Language Assessment course for students earning a Master of Arts in Teaching a Foreign Language (MATFL) or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) focuses on language test reliability, validity, test bias, and ethics. Students examine differences and similarities among placement, proficiency, achievement, aptitude, and performance testing; along with exploring alternative evaluation procedures. What's more, an elective Computer-Assisted Assessment course specifically examines ways in which computer technology can enhance the validity of assessments, as well as the delivery and scoring of assessments. The tests—which include oral, aural, reading, and writing assessments—are developed using a Web-based tool from Pittsburgh-based OWL Testing Software.

"We use OWL Testing Software because it’s comprehensive, advanced, and flexible. It is user friendly, and the support we receive from the company is excellent." says Dr. Jean Turner, a professor at MIIS's GSLEL. Turner, who has a doctorate in applied linguistics, taught language at a variety of schools from 1976 to 1989 and has been teaching applied linguistics since.

"While many schools do a good job of preparing future language instructors, most do not place enough emphasis on the importance of assessments in the classroom. At MIIS, we want our students to understand what it means to create valid and defendable assessments and why this is such an important part of teaching."

OWL provides full functionality for the entire assessment cycle: authoring, scheduling, administering, rating, and reporting. Custom assessments are created using an intuitive online wizard and can include any number or combination of oral response, essays, cloze, completion, fill-in-the-blank, matching, multiple-choice, or short answer questions—incorporating text, graphics, audio, and video components.

In addition to measuring a student's oral proficiency, reading and listening comprehension, and comfort level communicating in the target language; the OWL test management system allows language instructors to establish baselines against which to measure their progress over time. What's more, the Web-based system may be used anywhere there's access to the Internet—providing flexibility across multiple offices or campuses, time zones, and even continents.

"OWL offers the only widely-available testing tool designed specifically for assessing all modes of communication through a single platform," says Chris Dalessandri, president and co-founder of OWL Testing Software. "We're very pleased to have the opportunity to showcase our cutting-edge assessment technology to the students at Monterey Institute of International Studies, who are some of the best and brightest language students from the United States and around the globe."

About Monterey Institute of International Studies

The Monterey Institute of International Studies, located in California, includes the Graduate School of International Policy Studies, the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, the Fisher Graduate School of International Business and the Graduate School of Language and Educational Linguistics, and enrolls some 780 students. The Institute also includes the internationally renowned James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and Center for East Asian Studies. The Monterey Institute, which was founded in 1955, became an affiliate of Middlebury College in 2005. Additional information is available at www.miis.edu.

About OWL Testing Software

Founded in 1999, OWL Testing Software is a premier provider of affordable Web-based testing and assessment systems for academia, government, and business users. OWL’s intuitive test management system simplifies the unique and complex challenges of second language acquisition—including ESL and EFL programs—and is easily applied to any subject matter in education or the workplace. Learn more at www.owlts.com.

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Online Testing Platform Expands Capabilities of Leading Workforce Development Consultants

PITTSBURGH (31-Mar-2008) - Chris Dalessandri, President of OWL Testing Software, and Chris Babowal, President of Babowal & Associates, and announced their intention to explore a strategic partnership. Babowal & Associates, a leading workforce development firm with clients in the U.S. and abroad, has been developing validated English assessment tools since 1991 for use in a variety of business, industry and adult academic settings.

“Many businesses have multilingual and multicultural workforces,” says Ms. Babowal. “With OWL Testing Software, we will be able to accurately measure the communicative ability of the workers. The data we collect in the ‘Functional Language & Task Analysis™’ process provides the syllabus for the training and testing and is used against international English standards to develop performance standards and a quality control program for our clients. This collaboration with OWL Testing Software will not only help us provide a higher level of service to our current clients, but will help us expand our reach and accommodate the needs of many more businesses.”

“This partnership will expand OWL Testing Software’s reach into the corporate marketplace,” says Mr. Dalessandri. “OWL Testing Software has been providing the K-12 and higher education markets with proven online language testing and assessment solutions since 2001. We live in a world of global markets, heightened security, and 24x7 communication. Government agencies and businesses of every size and shape increasingly need people who can bridge the communication gaps of a changing world. With OWL Testing Software, Babowal & Associates will be able to certify the listening, reading, writing, and speaking abilities of workers, and that can translate into competitive advantages, improved performance and safety in the workplace, and a more secure society.”

About OWL Testing Software

OWL Testing Software is the leading provider of language test building software to academic, business, and government markets. Built as a web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management, OWL Testing Software is unique in its ability to create tests for all four communication skills – oral, aural, reading and writing. OWL Testing Software is available as licensed software and as a hosted solution to meet the needs of the largest and smallest schools, businesses, and government agencies concerned with enhancing the language learning process and outcomes. Please visit www.owlts.com or call 412.573.6143 for more information.

About Babowal & Associates

Babowal & Associates, Inc., (B&A), is a leading provider of American English communication and proficiency assessment tools used for individuals who use English for business or speak English as a Second (or Foreign Language) in academic, business and industrial settings throughout the world. The testing process, procedures and methodologies for the listening and speaking skills was developed by the Association of Recognized English Language Schools (ARELS) organization in 1962, and B&A was trained by ARELS and the University of Oxford England to become a provider of high risk language tests. The examinations (Assessments of Language Proficiency, ALP) are currently set at four levels: Pre-beginning, Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. A Junior version of the Beginning level will be available by fall of 2008 for high school, adult education and technical college students participating in business and industry courses. Presently, the tests have a facility coefficient of over 91% and a correlation of scorer reliability of over 93%, which favorably compares with other similar tests.

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