Bishop Elementary Detailed Analysis 2006This detailed analysis will statistically show you how use of MathScore can substantially increase test scores in your school. A game plan for current customers appears at the bottom.
On the California 2006 STAR test, Bishop showed a proficiency improvement in 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade. Compared to the previous year's 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade classes, the percentage of students proficient in those grades rose by 7%, 6%, and 10% respectively, catapulting overall schoolwide proficiency to 50%. Looking at the graph to the left, you can see that math test scores had been quite stable until 2006, when MathScore.com was used. So for this school, the 5% increase in proficiency is big news.
We conducted an analysis of the 5th graders at Bishop Elementary. We got
permission to share this analysis with you, with student names replaced by
numbers for the sake of anonymity. This Excel spreadsheet contains each child's 4th grade STAR results compared
to 5th grade STAR results.
Observation #1 (if you have Excel, view this before proceeding)Student users who were already proficient or advanced as 4th graders showed exceptional gains on the STAR test as 5th graders.
Game Plan Part 1Absolutely make sure your proficient and advanced students use MathScore on a consistent basis. We recommend 1 hour per week, but 30 minutes is acceptable. Do not make the mistake of using MathScore just for remediation. The most expensive hit against test scores is when a proficient student drops below grade level, and statistics show that MathScore students are highly unlikely to drop below grade level.Observation #2Regardless of proficiency level, there is a clear and obvious correlation between time spent using MathScore and increase in test scores. The Excel spreadsheet has a separate worksheet showing this correlation, so make sure you click on it.Game Plan Part 2Set a goal for every child to log 20 hours of time spent on MathScore.com over the course of one school year. If you consistently get each student on MathScore for one hour per week, this goal is reachable.Make a concerted effort to monitor student usage with your teacher and admin accounts. Using the activity summary feature, you can view time spent for any time period in a matter of seconds. Halfway through the school year, check to see if most of your students have put in 10 hours of time spent. Observation #3These results are easily duplicatable in your own school. These statistics for the entire 5th grade at Bishop are in line with the results of our original pilot program, conducted with one 5th grade class at Bishop in 2005.In the pilot program, the average child gained 39 points on the STAR test, compared with an average 26 point gain in the other two classes. In 2006, with the same exact teachers all using MathScore, the average child gained 37 points, and the percentage of 5th graders scoring proficient jumped from 34% proficient as 4th graders to 53% proficient as 5th graders.
Observation #4These results are for students who used MathScore for the first time. We expect compounded benefits with multiple years of use of MathScore.Game Plan Part 3Steps to Success
Back to the MathScore homepage |
In the 2005-2006 school year, Bishop Elementary heavily used MathScore.com
in their 4th and 5th grades.
MathScore was also used to a lesser degree with 2nd grade.
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"MathScore is the best automated tool I've ever seen."
- Janette Leath, 5th grade teacher, Bishop Elementary, Sunnyvale, CA |
