Maryland has developed a new assessment system that is designed to meet the requirements of the federal ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act. The Maryland School Assessment (MSA) is aligned with the Maryland Content Standards in reading and math, which specify the knowledge and skills students are expected to master in each grade level.

Students in grades 3 - 8 will take reading and math tests, and students in grade 10 will take a reading test. Science tests will be phased in beginning in the spring of 2005. High school students will take the end-of-course High School Assessments in geometry and biology after they complete those courses. These assessments will fulfill the federal requirements for high school tests in math and science.

Merit’s language arts and math software programs correlate to the Maryland Content Standards and can help students prepare for the MSA and local assessments. The content and format of Merit’s programs can help students develop and strengthen their test-taking skills as well as their reading, writing and math skills.

Merit reading software has been proven -- through rigorous, scientifically based research -- to increase both student reading comprehension and standardized test scores. Merit research study findings reveal that education software is an effective tool to improve test scores and academic performance.