Carnegie Learning Curriculum Newly Implemented bySchools Nationwide; Cognitive Tutor Algebra I...

Business Editors, Education Writers

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 14, 2000

Carnegie Learning, Inc., the first company to develop a proven, integrated print and software curriculum that increases math test scores by uniting students, teachers and cognitive tutor software,

The curriculum will be implemented and used in classrooms in New York City and Buffalo, N.Y., Oakland, Calif., Pittsburgh, Pa., and El Paso, Texas.

"These new school sites are exciting to us because they indicate growth for Carnegie Learning, and more importantly, we know that thousands of students in the coming school year will benefit for the first time from the hands-on learning of the Cognitive Tutor," Bob Longo, Carnegie Learning CEO, said. "These students are now better equipped to improve their understanding of math, as well as raise their grades and test scores."

The Cognitive Tutor curriculum has been proven to raise TIMSS test scores by as much as 30 percent, improve problem solving by 267 percent, and improve multiple representation achievement by 187 percent. As a result of these new site implementations, 21 schools and thousands of students will benefit from the Cognitive Tutor for the first time.

In New York, six Buffalo high schools and four New York City alternative high schools have adopted the Cognitive Tutor Algebra I curriculum, and will begin classroom use in September. The Buffalo schools--urban schools averaging 750 students, many Hispanic--have been piloting the program for two years. "In my recent years as a high school mathematics teacher using the Cognitive Tutor, I worked closely with Carnegie Learning to refine the Cognitive Tutor curriculum so that it correlated with the New York State Regents Math A examination required for student graduation," said Debbie Sykes, Supervisor of Mathematics, Buffalo Public Schools. "We have also been successful in correlating the Cognitive Tutor Geometry program with the New York State Regents, and will continue to implement the curriculum in more schools in Buffalo," she added.

In Oakland Unified Public Schools, Oakland, Calif., high school students will begin using the Cognitive Tutor Algebra I curriculum in September. Mostly urban schools with a diverse population of Asian, African American and Hispanic students, these schools have an average student body of more than 1,000 students. "Oakland Unified Public Schools evaluated several programs before deciding that Carnegie Learning made the grade," Dale Ploucher, Vice President and General Manager of Western Operations, said.

Because the Cognitive Tutor was developed at Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon University, some schools in the Pittsburgh area have been using the Cognitive Tutor programs for more than 10 years. Another school district to adopt the program in Greater Pittsburgh is the Woodland Hills District, where two junior high schools and one high school will begin using the Cognitive Tutor in September. "Equity and success for all students is a priority for this district," Stanley Herman, Woodland Hills Superintendent, said. "The Cognitive Tutor has improved achievement for students who are often left behind in traditional math programs, such as minorities and girls. We look forward to that same success in Woodland Hills," he added.

In the Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, where the average high school has a population of 1,800, ninth grade students will begin using the Algebra I Cognitive Tutor during the summer term, with more students using it when fall classes begin. Ysleta schools are generally located in urban areas with a high Hispanic population. Currently, the schools are adding more computers to their sites through their ninth grade Success Initiative Grant. "Through funding from the Texas Education Agency, we are establishing ninth grade at-risk Learning Centers in each high school with approximately 26 computers per site. The Cognitive Tutor is a great match for this new initiative," said Terri Sainz, Academic Discipline Leader for Mathematics, Ysleta Independent School District.

Teacher training for these districts will take place over the course of the summer. Over a four-day period, Carnegie Learning's intensive training covers the curriculum structure, software, textbook and support and has been positively evaluated by teachers who have completed the program.

About Carnegie Learning

Carnegie Learning, Inc. is the only results-based, educational technology company that develops and markets Cognitive Tutor curricula that enable "learning by doing" through real-world problem solving. Unlike supplemental educational software, Carnegie Learning's Cognitive Tutor courses are the first comprehensive curricula for algebra and geometry that unite students, teachers, technology and text into results-based programs built around personalized learning (cognitive) models. In addition, the highly sophisticated intelligent tutoring system allows for a student to use multiple problem solving strategies and provides several levels of "just in time" instruction to assist in achieving a successful result.

The company's first products, Cognitive Tutor Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II, are supported by 15 years of research and are targeted for students in middle school through four-year colleges. Schools and teachers across the country have already embraced the highly inclusive math programs, used by tens of thousands of students in public and private schools from Alaska to Florida and New York to San Diego. The United States Department of Education recently selected the Cognitive Tutor Algebra I program as one of five "exemplary" curricula. Carnegie Learning can be accessed via the Web at www.carnegielearning.com.