The Problem

Modern classroom software has to handle more types of information than ever.  For example, a single test question should link together all of these bits of information:

• State Standards Alignment
• Bloom’s Taxonomy Level
• Lesson Plan Alignment (for each instructor or school)
• Emerging Standards Alignment (Common Core)
• Question Source
• Special Restrictions (securing high-stakes tests)
• Supplemental Reading Material
• How answers should be given (multiple-choice, free-response, short-answer, numeric)
• Feedback for wrong (or correct) answers
• Grading criteria; Weight

Also, consider that after putting all of this data together, the test may be delivered in any of several formats: online; paper; Scantron; or using Student Response Systems (SRS).

At Teacher Resources, Inc., this is the problem we faced when laying out the framework for our STATIS Learning Management and Assessment software.  And in the end, we designed a comprehensive, intuitive, and blazing-fast system that handled all of the data we could throw at it, and then some.  But we weren’t out of the water yet.  We still needed a way to load all of this information into our database!

Our Solution

As Aesop teaches us, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and this lead challenge led us to develop a tool that handled all of these variables.  Building it from the ground-up we were able to integrate each and every variable in the way that made the most sense.  And, planning for the future, we made this Database Builder only loosely-coupled to our flagship product – STATIS.  In other words, while the editor is designed for and works beautifully with STATIS, it also works with most other products that can import and export data, not to mention spreadsheets and CSV files.

Quite by accident, our “internal” editing tool began attracting public interest, and now we’re proud to offer it to the teaching community, regardless of rather or not they choose to use it with STATIS (though we have an opinion on that too!).

Product Overview

The STATIS Database Builder (SDB) is a digital repository for classroom resources.  It starts with a state-of-the art test and question builder and an easy-to-use document editor.

On top of that it includes tools to manage alignment with teaching units and lesson plans, state standards, and common standards, of each and every bit of content in the system, down to individual paragraphs of lesson plans and student worksheets if desired.

Finally, it includes workflow management tools to track revisions and the history of the database, assign different levels of access to different users, and implement a review-and-approve process.

SDB is independent of the various testing and learning management systems in use today.  It can output data to any system with a compatible interface.  With SDB, you have a common, secure area to build your school’s database that is open, future-proof, and reliable.

Connection to Existing School Systems

STATI S is designed to work with existing Student Information Systems.  Additionally, it’s open philosophy dictates that it’s data should be made available to any testing system that wishes to use it.  To that end, it can export it’s data in a variety of formats.  Data can also be bulk-loaded on a case-by-case basis:

SDB and the STATIS Software Suite

Core Features

Test and Question Builder

• Build a re-usable database of questions for your school system
• Question Types: free-response, short-answer, true/false, multiple choices
• Include reading prompts with questions
• Add responses explaining what the student did wrong for incorrect answers, or encouragement after correct answers
• Each question can be aligned to a state standard objective
• Questions can go through a review process before being committed to the active database
• Questions, Tests, or both, can be exported to classroom software – depending on its capabilities

Lesson and Handout Builder

• Edit worksheets and lesson plans using a familiar, graphical document editor
• Include graphics and charts to add interest
• All documents can go through a review process before being committed to the active database
• Documents are organized by lesson sequence, and document type
• Pre-loaded  documents can be customized to the school’s need

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