McCann Associates Scores High on International English Language Assessment

McCann's Passport Language Program (PLP) runs on the Measured Success platform and offers a comprehensive online tool to assess and offer help for English Language Learners across the globe.

Important Details: McCann Associates, an affiliate of Vantage, offers a wide array of testing and assessment materials. In 2008, it was a finalist for the SIIA Codie award in the Best Corporate Solution category for its Measured Success product, which allows institutions, organizations and corporations to compose, score and report assessment and certification exams. McCann also offers another product of particular interest to the education industry: the International Passport to Language Program complies with the standards outlined in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), rather than to other common exams such as TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication), which some people have viewed as too US-centric.

McCann's program can be adapted for any level from K-12 to more advanced English language learners. The program was first introduced in Turkey, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Mexico and has since expanded to several other regions. The exams feature single question availability to help prevent cheating, "smart scoring" of essays, and open-ended questions and instant scoring and feedback for the test taker.

Implications: McCann has developed a successful program that may be worth emulating in several respects, however there are two issues that deserve particular attention.

The English Language Learning (ELL) market, sized at around $1.26 billion in 2006, is growing to some extent in every region. In the two years since, growth has been solid, particularly in Asia. Competition comes primarily from the four largest players: Oxford University Press, Pearson, Cambridge University Press and Macmillan, but language schools that produce their own product and smaller companies have also captured part of the market. Large and growing markets are few and far between these days and McCann has a terrific system in place to take advantage of it.

McCann develops relationships of various types around the globe to facilitate entry and growth in different countries. Current examples include partnerships with corporations, joint ventures in China and other parts of Asia, and relationships with universities in Mexico. McCann also partners with associations in the US and around the world to design and deliver certification and assessment products.

The second important aspect of the McCann model is its multiuse distribution channel. Once the infrastructure is in place and the relationships and regulatory issues settled, McCann can send all sorts of content down the wire (so to speak), not just English language lessons. This flexibility has prompted McCann to offer Spanish and Chinese language learning, but many types of exams, resources and knowledge can also be delivered since the capability is already in place and at sunk cost. With its nimble architecture and global relationships as well as a large bank of proprietary content, McCann, with its stable of products, has captured several steps along the value chain from content design to delivery to ELL assessment to providing further study. Currently it is focusing on growing its business in a robust area of study, but, along with partners, McCann will undoubtedly find other uses for its global distribution system.