Educational technology company Prodigy Learning has won a contract to provide cloud-based standardised testing in primary and post-primary schools locally.
The five-year contract, which is estimated to be worth up to €900,000, will see the so-called Drumcondra test being rolled out to schools via Prodigy's Skillify platform. The platform will initially accommodate about 40,000 tests a year with the capacity to scale as needed.
The first tests available on the platform for primary schools will assess English reading and mathematics through both English and Irish for 3rd to 6th grade classes.
In post-primary, the tests will assess verbal, spatial and numeric reasoning in first year, and for English reading, mathematics and léitheoireacht Ghaeilge in second year.
Using the solution, all test results are scored instantaneously, and individual schools have control over the timing and reporting of results.
Prodigy won the contract from the Education Research Centre after a nine-month multi-state tender process.
"This national contract is a major win and vote of confidence in our online assessment platform at a time of growing worldwide demand for online learning and assessment tools. We are proud to be selected to provide this critical platform to Irish schools," said Prodigy's chief executive, Andrew Flood.
Founded in 2000, Irish-based Prodigy has offices in Dublin, London, Sydney and New York. It has more than 3,000 customers globally and last year received the Exporter of the Year prize at the Small Firms Association annual awards.
