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Carnegie Learning's Cognitive Tutor Students Make Noted Gains in Kent School District Math Study

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 December 2004, 09:00 CST

Results released from an independent study conducted during the 2002-03 school year showed that math students who used Carnegie Learning's software and text-based Cognitive Tutor Algebra curricula in the Kent School District, made significantly higher knowledge gains than their peers who used the traditional text only curriculum. The study, led by researcher Dr. Gary Plano of Seton Hall University, involved 779 ninth grade students in seven junior high schools and one k-12 school in Kent, Washington.

To measure improvements, students involved in the study completed pre- and post-course tests developed by Northwest Evaluation Association (http://www.nwea.org). Of the 779 students, 389 who received a C- or lower in Algebra on the pre-course exam were assigned to the Cognitive Tutor curriculum. The remaining students used a traditional text curriculum. Cognitive Tutor students scored 12.3 points higher on the course exit exam than they did on the pre- course exam versus their traditional curriculum peers who scored only 9.5 points higher. Most notable were the gains among ELL students (English Language Learners). ELL students showed a 31.4 point gain on the exit exam versus their traditional curriculum peers who showed only a 16.7 point gain from the pre-course exam. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch programs also showed gains with the Cognitive Tutor program, improving by 18.7 points as opposed to the 13.9 point gain of their traditional math curricula peers.

The results indicate that the Cognitive Tutor program produces knowledge gains for all students, most especially for students who struggle to learn English. Dr. Plano recommended that the Cognitive Tutor Algebra I program, "be made available to all types of learners with particular emphasis on lower-ability and ELL status students."

About Carnegie Learning

Carnegie Learning is the developer of the Cognitive Tutor(R) comprehensive curricula for secondary mathematics. Established in 1998 by researchers, teachers and scholars from Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Learning was founded to apply and extend more than 20 years of award-winning research in cognitive science to mathematics instruction. Headquartered in Pittsburgh and operating with a full-time staff of more than 50 educators, researchers, management, technical, marketing and support staff members, Carnegie Learning's mathematics courses now serve more than 150,000 students in 46 of the nation's largest school districts, including Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami-Dade, New York City, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco and the Department of Defense Education Activity. Available courses currently include Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and Integrated Math.

Source: Business Wire

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