Carnegie Learning Math Curricula Significantly Improves Algebra Outcomes for Gary Community School Corporation

Carnegie Learning, Inc., a subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL), announced today the positive results experienced by Gary Community School Corporation (Gary, Ind.) after a two-year implementation of blended learning math instruction using Carnegie Learning Algebra I Cognitive Tutor Software and Algebra I textbooks.

Following the first full academic year using Carnegie’s math curricula, Gary Community School Corporation schools saw an overall 10 percent increase in proficiency in Algebra I district-wide – from 36 percent passing rate to 46 percent passing rate. The greatest increase was for ninth grade students at West Side Leadership Academy, who demonstrated significant gains in Indiana’s Algebra I End-of-Course Assessment (ECA), improving from a four percent pass rate in the 2012-2013 school year to a 56 percent pass rate in the 2013-2014 school year. During the same time period, other positive outcomes were experienced, including the Banneker school, which saw a 92 percent pass rate improve to a 96 percent pass rate.

“In our first year using Carnegie Learning blended Algebra I program, we saw a dramatic increase in engagement and aptitude in our ninth grade students,” said Terrance Little, principal of West Side Leadership Academy. “This translated into vastly improved standardized test scores and proficiency levels. The results seen are a combination of the viable and challenging Carnegie Learning curriculum, focused, supportive and data-driven leadership, and most importantly, diligent teachers to carry out the work. We look forward to using Carnegie’s programs, which will generate more positive student outcomes. We feel the program helps prepare students for their next level of math courses, as well as college and their future career.”

“The collaboration between Carnegie Learning and the Gary Community School Corporation is a testament to the ability of dedicated educators and academic innovation to come together to create positive change in students’ math proficiency,” said Erin Simmons, Chief Operating Officer at Carnegie Learning.

In addition to the research-based Carnegie Learning curriculum, teachers and leaders throughout Gary Community School Corporation received job-embedded Professional Development. The program helps increase teacher effectiveness and student achievement in mathematics, with a focus on effectively integrating technology to inform data-driven instruction and best teaching practices.

“Students respond positively to the program’s teaching methods and technology that allows them to learn in a way that makes Algebra fun and interactive,” said Stanley Keller, ninth grade teacher at West Side Leadership Academy. “The program reinvigorated our classroom and learning experiences.”

The results seen by Gary Community School Corporation are similar to the results found from a $6 million grant that the U.S. Department of Education awarded to RAND Corporation to study the effectiveness of Carnegie Learning’s Cognitive Tutor Algebra I blended curriculum over two years. The study involved 18,000 students across 147 schools in seven states. The result from students using Carnegie Learning Blended Curriculum was an eight percentile improvement over the control group in math scores in the second year of implementation, which is equivalent to nearly doubling a year’s worth of typical math learning. More information can be found at: http://algebraeffectiveness.org.

About Carnegie Learning, Inc.

Carnegie Learning is a publisher of innovative, research-based mathematics software and textbooks for middle school and high school students aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Providing differentiated instruction in schools across the United States, Carnegie Learning is helping students to succeed in math as a gateway to graduation, college and the 21st century workforce. Carnegie Learning, located in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL), and is the sole source provider of Cognitive Tutor® and MATHia® Software for students in grades 6-12. Carnegie Learning®, Cognitive Tutor® and MATHia® are registered trademarks of Carnegie Learning, Inc. For more information, visit www.carnegielearning.com.