Rio Rancho Public Schools Consistently Outperforms State With Wright Group/McGraw-Hill's Everyday Mathematics

Rio Rancho Public Schools has become a model of success in elementary mathematics instruction after implementing Wright Group/McGraw-Hill's Everyday Mathematics in 1999, consistently outperforming the state average on standardized math tests.

According to Cathy Ferris, executive director for elementary curriculum and instruction in Rio Rancho Public Schools, the scientifically based research that underlies Everyday Mathematics supports schools and districts as they strive to meet the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act and the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

"The lessons in Everyday Mathematics provide instruction as well as intervention strategies that comply with the requirement that the curriculum is based on scientific research. This is especially important for special education students," Ferris said.

In the school years 2002-2003 and 2003-2004, Rio Rancho students outpaced the state total in Grade 4 mathematics by a significant margin. In 2003, 70 percent of Rio Rancho Grade 4 students scored proficient in math on the New Mexico Standards Based Assessment System (NMSBA), compared to 51 percent statewide. In 2004, 71 percent of Rio Rancho Grade 4 students scored proficient, compared to 55 percent statewide.

The state of New Mexico also requires districts to create short-cycle or formative assessments to inform student instruction. In response, Rio Rancho Public Schools developed quarterly, short-cycle mathematics assessments that align with New Mexico state standards with questions that mirror those on the NMSBA.

"As teachers were developing the short-cycle assessments, we noted that Everyday Mathematics aligns well with the New Mexico standards. The Assessment CD in Everyday Mathematics proved to be an integral tool for Rio Rancho teachers when creating these short-cycle assessments. As a result, our quarterly short-cycle assessments align 100% with New Mexico state mathematics standards," Ferris said.

Beginning in the 2004-2005 school year, students in all Grades 3-8 in New Mexico schools were assessed in reading and mathematics as part of the NMSBA. New benchmarks for proficiency were set beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, thus not allowing comparisons with past results.

The results of the updated NMSBA find 61% of Grade 3 Rio Rancho students scored at the proficient and advanced levels mathematics compared to 43% of all New Mexico students. Similarly at Grade 4, 51% of the district's students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics compared to 39% of the 2005 state total. Rio Rancho students also outperformed state totals in mathematics in Grade 5 with 43% of the district's students at the proficient and advanced levels compared to 27% of all New Mexico students.

To chronicle Rio Rancho Public Schools' success, Wright Group recently published an Everyday Mathematics Success Story for the district. To download the complete story in PDF-format, visit: www.wrightgroup.com/index.php/home/everydaymathematics/emsecondupdate/emsuccessstories/54

About Rio Rancho Public Schools

Located northwest of Albuquerque in central New Mexico, the City of Rio Rancho is projected to have a population of 80,000 by the year 2010. Currently the district enrolls more than 14,800 students in Grades K-12. The diverse student population is 50% Caucasian, 40% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% Native American, and 2% Asian American. Approximately 35% of the students qualify for the free and reduced-price meal program. For more information about Rio Rancho Public Schools, visit http://www.rrps.net/.

About Everyday Mathematics

Wright Group/McGraw-Hill's Everyday Mathematics celebrated 20 years of teaching success in 2005. This Pre-K-Grade 6 mathematics program helps student measure up to the demand for greater mathematical competence and problem- solving ability. Developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, the research-based curriculum coincides with standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and is used in nearly 185,000 classrooms across the United States by more than 3 million children.

About Wright Group/McGraw-Hill

Wright Group/McGraw-Hill publishes innovative, alternative core and supplemental literacy and mathematics programs for differentiated instruction and teacher training in Grades Pre-K-8. The research-based approach is anchored in real-world applications and is based on the assessed needs of students, combining developmentally appropriate materials with explicit outcomes.

Wright Group is part of McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower the success of professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 40 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/ For more information on Wright Group's products, call 1-800-648-2970 or visit http://www.wrightgroup.com/.

  Contact:  Linda Schilling                    Melina Metzger
            Wright Group/McGraw-Hill           Paul Werth Associates
            (312) 233-7788                     (614) 224-8114 Ext. 236
            linda_schilling@mcgraw-hill.com    mmetzger@paulwerth.com

SOURCE: Wright Group/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Linda Schilling of Wright Group/McGraw-Hill, +1-312-233-7788,
linda_schilling@mcgraw-hill.com; and Melina Metzger of Paul Werth Associates,
+1-614-224-8114 Ext. 236, mmetzger@paulwerth.com

Web site: http://www.mheducation.com/
http://www.wrightgroup.com/
http://www.mheducation.com/
http://www.rrps.net/