Test scores of Math in Focus
students improved by an average of 12.4 points from year to year, more than three times the average improvement that occurred across the remaining students in the comparison group. The results serve as evidence that the program works in the U.S., as local students are also benefitting from the internationally acclaimed program.At the onset of the 2009-2010 academic year, school administrators in Old Bridge, New Jersey began piloting the Math in Focus program in hopes that it would help boost students’ overall aptitude in math. In December 2010, independent evaluation firm Educational Research Institute of America (ERIA) conducted a study on the instructional effectiveness of the Math in Focus pilot program, which yielded significant results.
“This study is the proof in the pudding that Math in Focus is working for our students,” said Donna Kibbler, Director of Elementary Education in Old Bridge, NJ. “Partnering with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for professional development has allowed our teachers to move from being just comfortable teaching math to reaching a new level of confidence in their math teaching ability. The students, teachers, and parents in our district truly see the benefits of Singapore math.”
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the exclusive provider of Math in Focus to the US, first introduced the program in April 2009. It is the US version of Singapore’s most widely used program, My Pals Are Here
! Maths for K–5, which offers an intuitive progression of instructions that focus on fewer topics in greater depth to allow students to gain a better understanding of critical math topics.HMH is now working with Marshall Cavendish-Singapore to extend the series to grades 6-8 available in Fall 2011 and 2012.
