Wright Group/McGraw-Hill Recognizes Three School Districts With the 2008 Everyday Mathematics Outstanding Achievement Award

Wright Group/McGraw-Hill is honoring three school districts for academic growth in elementary mathematics education with the 2008 Everyday Mathematics Outstanding Achievement Award. This year's winners are Denver Public Schools, Colorado; Orange County Public Schools, Florida; and Woodbridge Township School District, New Jersey. Representatives from each district attended an awards ceremony in Salt Lake City at the Clark Planetarium on April 10, as mathematic educators from around the country convened for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual conference.

The award -- formerly known as the Excellence in Education Award -- was designed to celebrate the accomplishments of school districts that have seen success in student achievement with support of the popular Everyday Mathematics research-based series.

"We created Everyday Math with success for students and teachers in mind, and it's thrilling to see research in action in each of these high-performing districts," said Dr. Andy Isaacs, author of Everyday Mathematics. "These three districts are models of success for others looking to improve math education. The trend of increased test scores can be seen in schools and districts using Everyday Mathematics throughout the country."

About the Winners

Denver Public Schools, a large urban district serving a multicultural student body, has experienced tremendous growth in test scores since implementing Everyday Mathematics in 2002. For example, the percentage of Grade 5 students scoring proficient or advanced in mathematics on the Colorado Student Assessment Program increased nine percentage points between 2004 and 2007 from 35% to 44%.

To support the success of Everyday Mathematics, many of the district's schools offer math nights for parents to come in to learn about Everyday Math and hold ongoing staff and professional development sessions.

Orange County Public Schools is the 11th largest school district in the United States, serving more than 175,000 students in Grades PreK-12. Implementation of Everyday Mathematics began in the fall of 2004 with Grades K-5. Orange County educators report improvement in math almost immediately upon implementation of Everyday Mathematics. Three years in, the number of Grade 5 students scoring at or above average in math on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) had increased 10 percentage points, while 67% of Grade 3 students scored at or above average.

Woodbridge Township School District is a mid-size district in New Jersey's Middlesex County. Amazingly, 113 different languages are spoken in the homes of these students. Four years ago, Woodbridge Township School District piloted Everyday Mathematics in four of their 16 elementary schools. Due to the success of the program, it was then expanded to all schools in Grades 3-5 the following year, and has now been fully implemented district-wide in Grades 1-5. Since, math test scores have gone from good to great. For example, in 2004, before Everyday Mathematics was used, 82% of Grade 4 students scored proficient or above in mathematics on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (ASK). In 2007, that percentage jumped to 92%. Meanwhile, Grade 3 students have increased from 86% to 94% in the last three years.

To see videos on each winner, visit http://www.everydaymathsuccess.com/oaa_index.html .

About Everyday Mathematics

Wright Group/McGraw-Hill's Everyday Mathematics is the nation's leading standards-based elementary mathematics program for Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 6. Everyday Mathematics celebrated 20 years of teaching success in 2005. The 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 is used in nearly 185,000 classrooms across the United States by more than 3 million children.

The third edition was recently launched and offers more support for learning differences, extra help for English-language learners, enhanced assessment and new support for the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten mathematics classrooms. The third edition also features new technology components to support teachers and students.

Visit www.EverydayMathSuccess.com to read about the program's efficacy and see www.wrightgroup.com/parent_connection/index.html for parent resources.

About Wright Group/McGraw-Hill

Wright Group/McGraw-Hill publishes innovative 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 www.wrightgroup.com .

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SOURCE: Wright Group/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Tom Stanton
McGraw-Hill Education
+1-212-904-3214
tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com
Melina Metzger
Paul Werth Associates
+1-614-224-8114 Ext. 236
mmetzger@paulwerth.com

Web site: http://www.mheducation.com/
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http://www.everydaymathsuccess.com/
http://www.everydaymathsuccess.com/oaa_index.html
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