Federal What Works Clearinghouse Database Results Show I CAN Learn(R) Instructional Improvement System is Only Middle School Math Intervention Program With Positive Effects

NEW ORLEANS, May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) recently updated its online database of middle school math interventions and the I CAN Learn® Instructional Improvement System (IIS) remains the only program to have strong evidence of a positive effect on student achievement, with no overriding contradictory evidence.

Ratings on eight other math intervention programs ranged from no discernible effects to potentially positive effects.  Only the I CAN Learn® IIS earned a "++" positive rating, the highest possible score.  The update comes as states and districts are looking for interventions that are proven to work to meet new federal goals outlined recently in the Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation (i3) grant programs.

The I CAN Learn® IIS' rating is reinforced by middle schools throughout the country that are experiencing positive results using the program.  Two recent examples include:

• Indiantown, FL: At 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.
• Granite, OK: At Granite Public Schools, 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.

The WWC publishes intervention reports that evaluate research on curricula and instructional strategies for students in grades 6-9 that are designed to increase student outcomes related to mathematics achievement.  The I CAN Learn® IIS' "++" rating is based on an evaluation of five recent studies that meet the WWC's evidence standards.  These studies included 16,519 eighth-grade students from middle schools in California, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana.  

In February 2010, the WWC attested to the scientific authority of results from five studies on the effectiveness of the system's results, pointing to the studies' RCT's as well as the number of students and schools using the program that were studied.  According to data posted by the WWC, the 16,000+ student sample size in supporting research is more than three times that of any other math intervention program studied.

"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.  

To learn more, visit www.icanlearn.com.

About the I CAN Learn® Instructional Improvement System

The I CAN Learn® Instructional Improvement System is a product of JRL Enterprises, Inc. "I CAN Learn" is an acronym for "Interactive Computer Aided Natural Learning." The system is a complete software and hardware computer package for delivering standards based Algebra and Pre-Algebra courses to the K-12, College, and Adult Education markets. The education system captures the best instructional pedagogy and delivers this instruction through technology on a one-on-one basis to every student. It also provides a complete classroom management tool that assists educators by providing all the feedback needed to ensure every student's success.

SOURCE I CAN Learn(R) Instructional Improvement System