2003/2004 First In Math® Case Study:
School District of Philadelphia, PA

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Preface
The passing of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation has placed urban school administrators under pressure to ensure that their schools meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in core subject areas. To make AYP in math during 2003/2004, 35% or more of a school's student population was required to score at the "proficient and above" level on state standardized tests. In the 2004/2005 school year, that benchmark becomes 45%.

The School District of Philadelphia used funding from their Urban Systemic Program (USP) grant for the implementation of a mathematics intervention to target the needs of its urban population base. The First In Math® program was used in more than 2,600 third through eighth grade classrooms throughout the district during the 2003-2004 school year. The program was selected to meet criteria defined by district CEO, Paul Vallas, that an intervention program in mathematics must: 1) strengthen basic skills; 2) contain a technology element; and 3) create competition to motivate students to achieve. The first-year implementation of the First In Math® program was a resounding success.

Students in the District logged over 216,000 hours on the First In Math® site, proving their dedication and willingness to tackle a range of increasingly challenging math problems from simple addition through decimals, fractions, exponents and complex algebra.

The 2004 Pennsylvania State Standard Assessment (PSSA) results for the School District of Philadelphia showed a significant increase in overall performance in math. The scores showed a 7.4% increase in 5th grade students scoring at the proficient and above level. Improvement among their 8th grade students was a dramatic 11.1% increase. These results placed the district ahead of Pennsylvania's average increase in scores, a 5.2% in 5th grade students and a 6.1% increase in 8th grade students.

The First In Math® program, developed by Suntex International Inc., draws on the company's 16 years of experience in stimulating the achievement process in mathematics among diverse populations. The combination of the family of 24® game products with current technology allowed Suntex to design an online program that has a proven track record of improving math skills and raising overall test scores. Suntex provided follow up to ensure materials were used and the students were receiving all of the incentives set for each achievement level. Teachers benefited by using the real-time assessment feature to see which teams/students were using the site, the percentage of students mastering basic facts, the degree of studentsí test preparedness, how far the students in the district were progressing and more. The online assessment reports allow teachers to identify which students are struggling and can intervene significantly earlier than in the past. Educators can also try out the games for themselves and improve their own numerical fluency and technology quotient.

REGIONWIDE CASE HISTORIES

Northwest Region. One of the largest regions in the district, it included 26 schools, 309 classrooms and 8,326 students that were actively involved in the First In Math® (FIM) program. These students were among the top performers in the FIM program, having spent over 30,000 hours on the site. The Northwest Regionís PSSA test scores showed dramatic improvement. 5th grade student scores increased 15.1% (double the districtís 7.4% and nearly triple the state's 5.2% increase). 8th grade student scores increased 16.6% (exceeded the districtís 11.1% and was more than 2 1/2 times the state's 6.1% increase).

Northwest Region Schools - 2004/2003 PSSA Scores in Math

NOTE: Levering's 39.2% decrease can be explained in part by noting that only 18 of 47 5th grade students were active. Levering 5th grade students earned only 1,907 total stickers (106 stickers per student) compared to Edmonds 5th graders who earned 74,641 total stickers (655 stickers per student). * Assumes the enrollment figures for 2003 are the same as 2004.

Northwest Region Schools - 2004/2003 PSSA Scores in Math

* Assumes the enrollment figures for 2003 are the same as 2004.

SCHOOL CASE HISTORIES — 5th Grade

Anne Frank Elementary School. Fifth grade students here were ranked #1 in the FIM program for Philadelphia's Northeast Region and ranked #4 in the district. The school's PSSA scores jumped 14%, making Anne Frank Elementary the highest-scoring school in the Northeast Region?85.1% of 5th grade students performed at the proficient and above levels.

Longstreth Elementary School. Longstreth students were ranked #1 in the First In Math? program for the Southwest Region and #5 in the district. While only 7.1% of 5th graders were proficient in math in the previous school year, students demonstrated their willingness to work hard in the FIM program, and reached 38.1% proficient this year, a 31% increase.

Charles Henry School. Ranked #4 in the Northwest Region in the FIM program. Fifth grade students went from 22.1% proficient to 55.4% proficient, a 33.3% increase.

Prince Hall School. Ranked #2 in the FIM program in the Northwest Region. Fifth grade students achieved a 20.9% improvement, moving from 19.8% the previous year to 40.7% proficient in the 2003/2004 school year. This effort helped Prince Hall make AYP in mathematics.

Fairhill Elementary School. Ranked #1 in the FIM program in the Central East Region, Fairhill 5th graders achieved a 24.3% increase in PSSA scores, rising from 30.3% to 54.6% proficient.

Meredith School. Ranked #1 in the First In Math? program in the South Region. Fifth grade students achieved a 19.9% improvement, moving from 45.1% the previous year to 65% proficient, in the 2003/2004 year.

Moffet Elementary School. Fifth grade students here were ranked #2 in the First In Math?; program in the Central East Region. Moffet's 5th grade PSSA test scores jumped 28.4%, rising from 36.6% to 65% proficient.

Top 14 Schools in the First In Math® Program - 2004/2003 PSSA Scores in Math
5th Grade

SCHOOL CASE HISTORIES — 8th Grade

Hill Freedman Middle School. With a predominantly African-American student population, Hill Freedman is an excellent example of the First In Math? program's ability to motivate the desire to excel in a diverse student population. The school was ranked #3 in the state on the FIM site on May 17th, 2004 when students assembled for an awards ceremony to honor their achievement. PSSA test results confirmed an extraordinary 41.2% improvement among 8th grade students, 84.7% of who scored at the proficient and above levels.

Fitler School. Ranked #1 in the FIM program in the Northwest Region and #6 in the district, these 8th grade students made everyone proud when test scores increased 41.6%, taking Fitler from 16.9% proficient the previous year to 58.5% proficient this year.

Conwell Middle School. Located in the Central East Region of Philadelphia, this school has a large minority popu-lation. Approximately 40% of students were from non-English speaking homes. Native languages included Spanish, Romanian, Albanian and Haitian dialects. The First In Math?; program motivated Conwell 8th grade students to leave a "legacy of excellence" upon their graduation?they were ranked #1, #2 and #3 statewide for all three 8th grade teams by March, 2004. PSSA test results again reflected Conwell's achievement with a 25.1% jump among 8th grade students. 72.2% scored at the proficient and above levels. A dramatic improvement over the previous year scores at 41.7%. What makes Conwell's achievement so remarkable is that most students in this school did not have Internet access at home. Students made the effort to come to school as early as 6:30 am to use the computer lab before class.

Reynolds School. Ranked #1 in the FIM program in the district and the state, these 8th grade students showed a 27.6% improvement. Their hard work took Reynolds from 10.7% proficient in the previous year to 38.3% proficient this year, helping the school to achieve AYP for mathematics.

Dobson School. Ranked #6 in the Northwest Region and #14 for the district in the FIM program. Dobson 8th grade students achieved a 30.5% improvement from the previous year PSSA results.

Farrell School. Ranked #1 in FIM in the Northeast Region and #4 in the district, Farrell's 8th graders achieved a 20% improvement in their PSSA results, from 47% proficient the previous year to 67% proficient in the 2003/2004 year.

Top 14 Schools in the First In Math® Program - 2004/2003 PSSA Scores in Math
8th Grade

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