More Students at Oklahoma's Norman Public Schools Score Advanced in Math With Everyday Mathematics®

Elementary math scores are on the rise in the Norman Public Schools, and teachers credit the increase to Everyday Mathematics® from Wright Group/McGraw-Hill. The district adopted the program in the fall of 2004 for Grades 1-5. Now Everyday Mathematics is used in Grades K-5.

In 2003, Norman was using a different basal mathematics curriculum, and 83% of its Grade 5 students were scoring at a Proficient Level while only 24% were scoring at an Advanced Level. After four years with Everyday Mathematics, 97% of Norman's Grade 5 students are scoring at a Proficient Level and, more importantly, 51% are scoring at an Advanced Level, an improvement of 113%.

Strong Math Skills in Elementary School Transfer to Middle and High School Success

Nita Cochran, district math coordinator, said the district's goal is to continue increasing the percentage of elementary school children who score in the Advanced category because experience shows that those students do much better in math in middle school and high school.

"Everyday Mathematics is a research-based program that gives students the strong mathematical foundation they need as they grow older. More of our Grade 7-8 students are taking Algebra. Ninety-five percent of our Grade 9 students passed the state-mandated Algebra I test in 2008, which was the highest percentage yet. That's because those kids had experienced Everyday Mathematics," she said.

Cochran said the program is helping the district exceed some of the state's benchmarks. "Our Grade 4 students can successfully add negative integers, which is a Grade 7 benchmark," she explained. "The reason is simple. Everyday Mathematics introduces the number line in Kindergarten. Even our Kindergartners ask about negative numbers because they see them on the number line."

Special Education Students Make Gains

Special education students at Norman Public Schools also perform well with Everyday Mathematics. As students are exposed to the program over time, the percentage scoring Proficient or Advanced on the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT) continues to climb.

In 2006, 55% of Norman's Grade 5 special education students were scoring at a Proficient Level and only 12% were scoring at an Advanced Level. By 2008, 87% of their special education students were ranked Proficient and 26% were ranked Advanced, improvements of 58% and 117% respectively.

Staff Development Is Key

Cochran said one reason the program has worked so well in the district is because of staff development. "Many elementary school teachers don't receive enough training in math during college, but Everyday Mathematics and the program's trainers get them up to speed. The trainers have all taught the program for at least three years before becoming trainers, so our teachers really respond well to them. Our teachers feel comfortable asking specific questions about what issues they see in the classroom, and the trainers offer practical answers based on their personal experiences."

Teachers say Everyday Mathematics has deepened their students' knowledge of math and credit the program with an impact felt throughout the community.

"Everyday Mathematics has added excitement to our town. People talk about math now, and I never thought that would happen. Football is big in Norman, and I've heard kids making up number games with their parents during football games. I never thought I'd hear kids talking about numbers in public!"

About Norman Public Schools

Norman Public Schools are recognized on the state and national level for exceptional teaching and instructional programs. Serving the third largest city in Oklahoma, the district attributes much of its success to the community's support and commitment to quality public education. Home to the University of Oklahoma, this community is focused on the educational process. The district serves nearly 14,000 students in 23 schools, and the student population is 75% Caucasian, 8% Native American, 7% African American, 6% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 1% multicultural. More than 40% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. For more information, visit Norman.k12.ok.us.

About Everyday Mathematics

With more than 20 years of history, Wright Group/McGraw-Hill's Everyday Mathematics for Grades Pre-K-6 helps students measure up to the demand for greater mathematical competence and problem-solving ability. Everyday Mathematics was 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 Everyday Mathematics eSuite includes an online lesson planner with digital access to all teacher materials, an interactive online student edition, animated games for additional fact practice, an assessment management system to monitor student progress, and multilingual family letters in nine languages to support the home-school connection.

Visit EverydayMathSuccess.com to read about the program's efficacy and to see videos of the program in use in the classroom. See 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, anchored in real-world applications, 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 print and digital instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 65 languages. Additional information is available at MHEducation.com. For more information on Wright Group's products, call

1-800-648-2970 or visit WrightGroup.com.

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SOURCE: Wright Group/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Amy Tillinghast of Wright Group/McGraw-Hill, +1-614-750-7285,
amy_tillinghast@mcgraw-hill.com; or Melina Metzger of Paul Werth Associates,
+1-614-224-8114, Ext. 236, mmetzger@paulwerth.com

Web Site: http://www.wrightgroup.com/