From Carnegie Mellon comes this advancement in education:
Carnegie Mellon has developed a Web-based computer tutoring system to help middle-school students prepare for standardized mathematics tests like those required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The "Assistment" system aims to solve a dilemma for teachers: how to prepare students for tests without sacrificing quality instruction time. The system is designed to quickly predict a student's score on a standardized test, provide feedback to teachers about how they can adapt their lessons to address students' problems and provide individualized tutoring to suit each student's needs. The system is being tested in Massachusetts with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, but it can be easily adapted for use in other states. In developing Assistment, researchers have drawn upon the proven success of Carnegie Mellon's popular Cognitive Tutor®, a comprehensive secondary mathematics curricula and computer-based tutoring program that is in use in 1,500 schools nationwide. Contact: Jonathan Potts at 412-268-6094 or Anne Watzman at 412-268-3830.
I found more info at the Pittsburgh Advanced Cognitive Tutor site. Sounds interesting.