Help Schools Meet the Needs of All Students
The following success stories, case studies, research, and evaluation reports support this vision statement.
Caliente Elementary School increases student performance
K-12 Education - Success Story
Produced by Curriculum Advantage
At Caliente Elementary School in Nevada, students are testing at the lowest end of the state assessment spectrum. When Nykki Holton began as principal, she applied for and received a Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) grant and used it to create a technology center complete with computers installed with Classworks Gold software package. Students experienced great increases in scores and were much more attentive in class as a result of the technology integration. Teachers appreciated the built in testing and reporting components of the software and the ability to tailor the software to encourage students to achieve. Read more
Baltimore County Public Schools expand improvement in instructional programs.
K-12 Education - Success Story
Produced by The College Board
Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), serve a diverse population with over 100,000 urban and suburban students. Despite the system's articulation of its goals and strategies through its "Blueprint for Progress," challenges still remain. To address these challenges, BCPS partnered with the College Board to increase student achievement, raise enrollment in college prep courses, and help increase minority achievement levels. This partnership helps BCPS access programs and tools such as AP Potential, CollegeEd, and SpringBoard in an effort to increase student involvement in and awareness of Advanced Placement courses, and prepare students for college and the business world. Because of these efforts, BCPS is on the way to becoming one of the premier school systems in the nation. Read more
An Efficacy Study of READ180; A Print and Electronic Adaptive Intervention Program Grades 4 and Above
K-12 Education - Research
Sponsored by the Council of Great City Schools. Conducted by Interactive, Inc.; January 2002
This quasi-experimental study examines the effects on reading achievement of Scholastic Inc.'s READ 180, a print and electronic adaptive intervention program for grades 4 and above. For this study, the Council for Great City Schools helped identify seven different school districts with low-performing middle school students for the 2000/2001 school year. For all READ 180 students in three districts- Boston, Houston, and Dallas-that provided test scores, the difference in growth on the SAT-9 between the treatment and control groups is statistically significant in favor of the students in the READ 180. In Columbus, the difference is also statistically significant and in favor of the students in the READ 180 classes. The differences in growth in Columbus rise to the level of considerable educational significance. Each school established two READ 180 classrooms to serve a total of 120 students (four classes of 15 students in each of the two classrooms). The lowest 320 students were randomly assigned to a READ 180 class or the control group, but no students with a reading grade equivalent lower than 1.5 were to be placed in READ 180 classes. Read more
Moore (OK) ISD Study of Carnegie Learning Cognitive Tutor Algebra I Program
K-12 Education - Research
Conducted by Moore, Oklahoma Independent School District. May 2002.
In the 2000/2001 school year, the Moore, OK Independent School District conducted a thorough study aimed at understanding the effectiveness of the Cognitive Tutor Algebra I program on students in their junior high school system. It found that students using the Cognitive Tutor curriculum outscored those using the traditional curriculum on the ETS Algebra end-of course assessment and on their course grades. The study was conducted as a true experiment, with students randomly assigned to either the Cognitive Tutor Algebra I course or a traditional Algebra I course. Furthermore, these effects are not only statistically significant, but they are fairly substantial. The strongest advantage for the Cognitive Tutor curriculum was found in the three teachers who had the worst results from their traditional classes. Read more
A Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Instruction in Science Education
Postseconary & K-12 Education - Research
This meta-analysis examined the efficacy of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on secondary and college science student achievement in comparison to traditional instruction. The study found that a typical CAI using student's science performance increased from the 50th to the 62nd percentile. The study also found that CAI effectiveness was related to student-to-computer ratio, CAI mode, and treatment duration. This meta-study included experimental and quasi-experimental studies comparing the achievement of students who were taught science with a form of CAI and students who were taught science with traditional instruction. Read more
Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status
K-12 Education - Research
Journal of Research on Technology in Education, Volume 34 (2). Conducted by M.Page. 2002.
The study randomly assigned 211 students of low socioeconomic status and various ability levels from five Louisiana elementary schools to either treatment or control groups. Treatment classrooms included a variety of technology hardware and software, while control classrooms did not. Students in the treatment group showed statistically significant differences in mathematics achievement, composite self-esteem, school self-esteem, and general self-esteem. Analysis of reading scores revealed no significant differences between groups. Read more
