The U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) recently updated its online database of middle school math interventions and found only one program to have strong evidence of a positive effect on student achievement, with no contradictory evidence.

The WWC rates the effects of an intervention in one of seven ways: positive, potentially positive, mixed, no discernible effects, potentially negative, or negative. One program, the I CAN Learn® IIS, earned  the highest score, a “positive” rating. Ratings of eight other math intervention programs ranged from no discernible effects to potentially positive effects.

The WWC publishes reports that evaluate research on curricula and instructional strategies that are designed to increase student outcomes.  The I CAN Learn® IIS’  rating is based on an evaluation of five recent studies which included 16,519 eighth-grade students from middle schools in California, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana.

The WWC rating of effectiveness takes into account four factors: the quality of the research design, the statistical significance of the findings, the size of the difference between participants in the intervention and the comparison conditions, and the consistency in findings across studies.

Two recent examples of  schools boosting their math scores highlight the WWC results. At Florida’s Indiantown Middle School, a school with an 80 percent Hispanic enrollment, roughly half of which are English Language Learners, the percentage of students scoring at or above state grade levels in math has increased from 38 percent (2003) to 67 percent (2009) since implementing the I CAN Learn® IIS six years ago.

At Granite Public Schools in Oklahoma, the percentage of eighth grade students passing the state’s Algebra I test more than doubled, increasing from 43 percent in 2007 to 91 percent in 2009.  This occurred in the school’s first two years using the I CAN Learn® IIS.

“We are proud of the work that we have done in the past to achieve the What Works Clearinghouse’s positive effects rating and continue to improve the program every day to keep it,” said Jacqueline Canales, curriculum specialist for the I CAN Learn® IIS.

In 2003, only 38% of students at Florida’s Indiantown Middle School met or exceeded Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requirements. By 2009, that number had risen to 67%. What was responsible for this remarkable turnaround in a school where 80 percent of students are Hispanic and 50 percent attend English as a Second Language (ESL) classes?

One positive influence cited by principal Debbie Henderson is the use of the Web-based, interactive software program I CAN Learn® Instructional Improvement System.

“The I CAN Learn® Instructional Improvement System helps our teachers reach students who have previously not done well in math,” explained Henderson. She added that the system allowed gifted students to progress even while slower students might need more time to master the material.

Independent, peer-reviewed studies have concluded that the I CAN Learn® Instructional Improvement System closes the achievement gap by nearly one-third on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse noted “positive effects in math achievement.”

Classrooms in 32 states are currently using the I CAN Learn® Instructional Improvement System, and recently California and Oklahoma adopted it as a textbook.

In California, the system is being used in 36 schools, including one school in the Los Angeles Unified School District which saw a 175% increase in the number of 8th graders passing state tests after  one year’s use.

Pat Chawannakul, an 8th grade math teacher at Sepulveda Middle School in Los Angeles Unified School District noted how the system affects student performance. “All students are individually working for mastery and success at their own level,” said Chawannakul.  ”I find that students are not afraid to ask questions because they are not being judged by the rest of the class.”

The number of students meeting ESEA requirements at Sepulveda Middle increase by nearly 40 percent since they started using the program in 2005.

By Scott Aronowitz
03/11/10

The National Education Association’s NEA Academy has announced it has partnered with I CAN Learn to help both K-12 and college mathematics educators improve content knowledge and learn new classroom strategies.

The I CAN Learn system offers online professional development courses on a number of math-related topics, including building math concepts and process and communication skills, improving math reasoning skills, increasing math vocabulary knowledge, and presenting strategies for finding contextual meaning. Each 50-hour course allows the user to progress at his or her own pace through depth audio and video presentations by a diverse group of lecturers.

NEA members will have access to the system’s professional development courses for math education in grades 3 through 5, grades 6 through 8, and pre-algebra. “The NEA Academy’s mission is to provide educational professionals access to effective professional development courses that they can take anytime and anywhere,” said Mark Stevens, vice president of professional and Web solutions for NEA Member Benefits. “The I CAN Learn system offers outstanding courses designed to bolster content knowledge and raise the bar for quality math instruction.”

Members who take the courses through the partnership are eligible to receive 2 continuing education units for each completed course, subject to approval by state and local educational certification agencies. Further information about the partnership and CEU eligibility can be found here.

By Nina G. Wills
Wednesday, June 2, 2010

INDIANTOWN — After incorporating a computer program into daily lessons six years ago, Indiantown Middle School has seen a 35 percent gain in students scoring at or above grade level in math.

It’s the only school in Martin County to use the I CAN Learn software that teaches mathematical concepts.

Lorraine Gine, an eighth-grade math teacher, said she can’t imagine being without the I CAN Learn program, along with her traditional whiteboard.

“It would be like going back to the Dark Ages,” Gine said. “It would be like taking phones and televisions away. This is the future of education.”

The $300,000 program is paid for with grants and included 30 lab stations, the software, the server, the furniture in the classroom and three years of maintenance, said Principal Debbie Henderson.

Two years ago, Uzziah Davis struggled with math. Now, an eighth-grader, Davis is no longer struggling but excelling in the subject with an A.

“There is a tutor that helps me before I take the quiz and all the notes are given at the end to make sure I know what is important and I didn’t miss anything,” Davis said.

Teachers personalize lesson plans for students who work at their own level and at their own pace, Henderson said. A student is tested on each concept before moving on to the next. The program is used with advanced fifth-graders and in small group sessions with sixth- and seventh-graders.

“The ability to differentiate instruction is a key to student achievement and gives us flexibility,” Henderson said.

In 2001, Hidden Oaks Middle School, Murray Middle School and Stuart Middle School scored an “A” in math while Indiantown Middle School scored a “C.” In 2008-2009, all Martin County middle schools scored an “A” in math, including Indiantown Middle School, according to the Florida Department of Education’s school accountability reports.

The 30-station math classroom lab is used by the 100 eighth-grade students. They watch video tutorials and are required to keep an updated notebook. While one student is learning algebraic equations, another student could be learning geometry. If a student does not understand a concept, he or she can ask the classroom teacher for assistance and further explanation

Eighth-grader Eulalia Matias said she likes how the lessons are presented and the ability to rewind lessons she did not understand.

Gine believes that using computers has become a natural way for students to interact in the classroom and only has complaints from students when it is time to leave the math lab.

Indiantown Middle School, designated a Title I school, receives federal funds because of its large population of low-income students. In 2004, Henderson chose to use the school’s Title 1 funding and a matching federal grant to purchase the I CAN Learn Program for eighth-grade students. After success with the program, she bought another 30 lab stations, for use for fifth-to seventh-grade students in small group settings.

Public schools can use the additional federal funding however they decide to help meet student’s educational goals, said Cathleen Brennan, spokeswoman for the Martin County School District.

“There are many supplemental programs used at schools throughout the district, with each one chosen based on the unique needs of students,” Brennan said.

Pamela Peterson-Daly, an eighth-grade math teacher at Indiantown Middle School, said the I CAN Learn program is challenging her teaching skills and helping her become a better teacher.

“It keeps me on my toes,” she said. “If one student raises their hands and needs help they may be working on one math concept while another student is working on a completely different concept.”

Gine agreed: “This frees me up to help others. Learning doesn’t stop.”