THOUSAND OAKS, CA--(Marketwired - Jan 9, 2014) - Xirrus, the leading provider of high-performance Wi-Fi, today announced the availability of an easy-to-deploy, low-cost wireless-network solution to support Common Core online testing. Surveys indicate that over 70 percent of K-12 schools nationwide are not prepared or have insufficient infrastructure to support Common Core testing in the 2014-2015 academic year. The Xirrus Common Core Wi-Fi kit provides a simple yet highly scalable way to address these concerns, including innovations to deliver predictable application performance and ensure a seamless testing experience. Xirrus also announced a new Common Core Testing Resource Center focused on sharing best practices with school IT organizations implementing Wi-Fi infrastructure for online testing.
"Cajon Valley Union School District has understood the need for and been keenly focused on developing robust wireless infrastructure for several years. The new method of Common Core testing has underscored that need," said Charles Allen, Director of Information Technology Services at Cajon Valley Union School District. "The Xirrus solution was chosen after a year of testing and against other manufacturers. Xirrus' expertise was crucial in implementing the needed upgrades for our infrastructure supporting Common Core testing. They uniquely understand the needs for electronic testing across the student body, and how to achieve maximum network uptime and performance for Common Core testing."
School IT departments are under tremendous pressure to support Common Core in short order. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) are two multi-state consortiums working to roll out Common Core State Standards (CCSS) testing. Practice field-testing assessments will begin in the spring of 2014 with actual student assessments beginning the 2014-15 academic year.
Xirrus wireless solutions reduce the burden on school IT by requiring less equipment and providing zero-touch AP provisioning, simple cloud-based management, and automatic wireless configuration. The Xirrus solution lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO) of wireless infrastructure for Common Core testing, enabling deployments with up to 75 percent less equipment and extending the value of wireless investments with software- and hardware-upgradeable technology.
"Schools are in the education business; we are in the Wi-Fi technology business. It is our responsibility to ensure school administrators have the knowledge, resources and guidance to successfully roll out Common Core testing and enhance the education process for everyone," said Bruce Miller, vice president of product marketing at Xirrus. "We work with dozens of 'digital super user' K-12 schools and bring unparalleled expertise in wireless infrastructure to the education industry. As schools acclimate to the new testing methods, Xirrus will continue to serve as a guidepost for planning and implementation of Wi-Fi networks to support critical programs such as Common Core testing."
Schools are moving to a 1:1 device-to-student ratio at a rapid pace, requiring educators to more quickly adopt technology and digital media to enable the migration from paper-based to electronic testing methods -- as is the case with Common Core testing. The shift to electronic testing is now here, yet only 14 percent of teachers use digital curricula and only 19 percent use subject-specific digital content tools weekly.
Implementation of Common Core requires significant effort from administrators seeking funding from a variety of sources, including local bonds, common core funding from state governments, E-Rate, E-Rate 2.0, ConnectED, and categorical grants from the federal government. Given the amount of funding at stake, schools must upgrade their Wi-Fi networks to support network access by all of their students at the same time. Testing may be the most demanding application: network slowdowns or glitches could prevent students from completing their tests, skewing results and leading to reductions in funding.
The Xirrus Common Core Wi-Fi kit consists of a 4 radio Wireless Array, Application Control, and tripod for portable mounting. It is available today at a price of $2,500.
For more information, visit the Xirrus Common Core Resource Center at http://www.xirrus.com/Splash/Common-Core
About Xirrus, Inc.
Xirrus is the leading provider of high-performance wireless networks. Xirrus solutions perform under the most demanding circumstances, offering consistent "wired-like" performance with superior coverage and security. The Xirrus suite of WI-FI optimized solutions -- Arrays, access points, cloud services, and wired switches -- provide seamless connectivity and unified management across the network. Xirrus provides a vital strategic business and IT infrastructure advantage to industries that depend on wireless to operate business-critical applications. With tens of thousands of customer solutions deployed globally, Xirrus maintains operations and partnerships across the globe. Xirrus is a privately held company and is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, CA. For more information please visit: www.xirrus.com and follow us on Twitter: @Xirrus.
Xirrus and XR Series are trademarks or registered trademarks of Xirrus. Other trade names used in this document are or may be the property of their respective owners.