February 13, 2020 – Keenville,
the Georgia Department of Education’s game-based formative assessment for first
and second grades, was recognized in the “Noteworthy School Product” category
of the 2020 Kids At Play interactive (KAPi) awards.
The
KAPi awards recognize excellence and innovation in children’s digital media.
Winners are chosen by a distinguished panel of independent jurors.
Keenville
was developed by the Georgia Department of Education in partnership with
Fablevision and the Georgia Center for Assessment as an innovative,
game-based approach to formative assessment.
“At
the Georgia Department of Education, we are committed to creating an assessment
system that supports teaching and learning,” State School Superintendent
Richard Woods said. “Keenville allows teachers to assess their students’
progress without the pressure and demands of a traditional test. I commend our
Assessment and Accountability team for their work to reimagine assessment and
create tools that are student- and classroom-centered.”
Traditional
tests are not developmentally appropriate for young learners, and too often
capture only one moment in time. Game-based assessment provides an alternative
that is research-based and adds value for students, educators and parents. In
Keenville, Georgia students explore and customize a highly engaging world that
presents real-life, yet playful, age- and grade-appropriate problem sets and
critical thinking tasks. The game uniquely integrates foundational literacy and
math concepts in a fun, engaging, story-based educational experience.
Student
performance is captured in a user-friendly, actionable dashboard that gives
teachers the information they need to understand where their students are in
the learning continuum, where they need to go next, and what targeted support
is necessary.
“Through Keenville, we’ve been able to provide a tool that
is developmentally appropriate for young learners and helps teachers support
student learning,” said Dr. Allison Timberlake, GaDOE’s Deputy Superintendent
for Assessment and Accountability. “Georgia is leading the way in this work.
I’m proud of my team for their ingenuity and effort, and grateful to our
partners who’ve helped us make Keenville a reality.”
In
February 2019, Education Week published an in-depth spotlight on Keenville
headlined How
Digital Games Take the Stress out of Formative Tests. In January 2019, The
Telegraph in Macon published an article highlighting Keenville
implementation in the Bibb County School District.
“They
don’t even think that they’re learning,” a Bibb schools employee told the Telegraph’s
reporter. “They think they’re playing a game, but they’re really learning.
That’s a powerful tool for any level of learner and any teacher.”