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Research On Merit Math Software Published In Peer-Reviewed Academic Journal
Students using Merit math programs record large test score gains

Students using Merit Software math programs significantly improved their scores on high stakes standardized tests, according to the results of a recent study published in the July 2006 issue of i-Manager's Journal of Educational Technology.

The study, conducted by a research team at Marshall University, examined the impact of Merit math software on students at Horace Mann Middle School in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The study confirmed that the software improved student math scores on the WESTEST, a criterion-referenced state test for math, language arts, science, and social science proficiency.

The Merit treatment had an extremely large positive impact. Math scores of students undergoing the treatment increased significantly during the study. The final results confirmed that students using Merit Software averaged 16 points higher than students in the control group. Statistical analysis indicates that educators can reasonably expect to replicate similar results at other schools.

This study titled, "Intervention that adds up: the impact of Merit math software on middle school students," follows and extends two previous studies, which evaluated the effect of Merit's reading and writing software on middle school students. The first study is published in the Journal of Research in Technology in Education, Winter 2004-2005. The second study is published in the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, June 2006.

The results of this third study confirm the outcomes of the previous two studies: that Merit Software is a remarkably useful educational tool for teachers and administrators facing the demands of high-stakes testing with limited resources.

For a summary of the study, please visit http://www.meritsoftware.com/merit_math_summary.pdf.

ABOUT MERIT SOFTWARE:

Since 1983, Merit Software (www.meritsoftware.com) has been producing educational software that addresses the core competencies that students require to succeed. The emphasis is on strengthening students' ability to read, analyze data and communicate their ideas.

Merit Software's programs are known throughout the industry for providing context-sensitive tutorials for students and convenient record management features to aid teachers, tutors and parents.

Visit www.meritsoftware.com to examine the company's library of educational applications currently being used in thousands of educational facilities worldwide.

Merit's educational software has been the subject of rigorous, independent, scientific-based research. These studies have concluded that Merit's software provides an effective supplement to everyday instruction. Research findings are available on www.meritsoftware.com/research.

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