Educational Software Firm Founded at Vanderbilt Sold

topics: No Child Left Behind

Fall 2006, Ideas in Action

An education assessment company founded at Peabody has been purchased by a major producer of digital video-based learning products. Discovery Education, of Silver Spring, Md., announced the purchase of Nashville-based ThinkLink Learning in April.

ThinkLink’s primary product is the Predictive Assessment Series, which predicts student performance on high-stakes tests administered by states. By monitoring and predicting proficiency, mastery, and adequate yearly performance on the tests administered by their state, teachers can better target classroom efforts. The results of high-stakes tests are important to meeting mandates for improvement under No Child Left Behind.

“One of the things that characterize Peabody is our commitment to moving the results of theoretical research into the field where it can be applied to benefit real learners,” said Dean Camilla Benbow. “ThinkLink has offered an excellent model for doing this.”

Vanderbilt established ThinkLink as a separate company in 2000. Current Peabody faculty collaborating with ThinkLink include Dean Benbow and Stephen Elliott, Dunn Family Professor of Educational and Psychological Assessment.