TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - A research team from The Hospital for Sick Children and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto released a noteworthy study that followed students over the course of two years in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) funded by the US Department of Education.  The results of the extensive study showed positive effects in elementary grades on a range of math outcomes for students in the JUMP Math group. At the end of this two-year study, progress of the JUMP Math students was equal to or significantly greater than the control group on every measure of achievement and often greater than expected progress based on test norms. 

 "We are very pleased with the results of the recently released study", said Dr. John Mighton, Founder, JUMP Math, "as it confirms what previous informal studies and in-school results have shown, JUMP Math students do better on math outcomes, including computation and problem-solving". Dr. Mighton has posited for years that all students can learn math and that all teachers can teach math, resulting in increased confidence, self-esteem and enjoyment.  Dr. Mighton continued by thanking the research team led by Dr. Tracy Solomon, "The rigour and methodology used in this study was of the highest order and we thank Dr. Tracy Solomon and the team from Sick Kids, OISE and U of T for their dedication, and enthusiasm in researching the critical topic of effective math instruction in the early school years."

As the authors point out, given the critical role of numeracy for employability and overall well-being, identifying and implementing effective approaches to early math instruction can have far-reaching and positive societal implications. Dr. Tracy Solomon, the lead researcher for the study, concludes, "the relative ease with which teachers were able to take up the JUMP Math program and its positive impact, even in the relatively short-term, on key measures of student math progress point to a viable alternative for math instruction that could be a valuable, evidence-based addition to the teacher's toolkit."

Gerry Connelly, a former Director of Education with the Toronto District School Board, and a current member of JUMP Math's Board of Directors is very familiar with the challenges facing educators and adds, "I hope that educators across North America will take note of these impressive outcomes.  JUMP Math delivers demonstrably positive outcomes for students, in both foundational skills and in problem solving."

A grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the United States Department of Education (grant no. R305A120184) funded the scale-up study (the main study). JUMP Math, a registered charity, contributed to funding the pilot study to help launch this research. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

For more information please click here A cluster-randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of the JUMP Math program of math instruction for improving elementary math achievement

JUMP Math is an award-winning non profit. Our mission is to help all children achieve their full potential by encouraging a deep understanding and a love of math in students and educators and using math class as an opportunity to build the social and emotional skills required for long term academic and life success. 

JUMP Math's structured inquiry approach draws on the latest cognitive research to provide a unique combination of depth, careful scaffolding and continuous assessment. We offer teacher and student resources for Kindergarten to grade 8, as well as professional development and support to help teachers reach and teach all students.

SOURCE JUMP Math

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https://jumpmath.org/