Merit Software News: Merit Reading Software Improves Reading Comprehension Says the Journal of Research on Technology in Education

Merit Reading Software Improves Reading Comprehension Says the Journal of Research on Technology in Education

Leading academic journal publishes scientific based study.

NEW YORK, NY, (January 2005) – Merit Software is proud to announce that a recent research study, which shows that Merit Software’s reading products greatly improve scores on standardized tests, was published by the Journal of Research on Technology in Education. The paper appears in the Winter 2004-2005 issue.

The journal is published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), a worldwide nonprofit professional organization. ISTE is dedicated to improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in K - 12 education and teacher education.

Merit reading software has been proven -- through rigorous, scientifically based research -- to increase both student reading comprehension and standardized test scores. Publication in this journal signifies the validity and importance of the Merit study findings within the education sector, while strengthening the argument that education software is an effective tool to improve test scores and academic performance.

About the study: In 2003, Merit Software commissioned consultants at Marshall University Graduate College in South Charleston, West Virginia to conduct a control versus treatment group research study utilizing several of Merit’s reading and language arts software in classrooms at the Calhoun County Middle/High School in West Virginia. The purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of Merit programs used for six hours by students in grades 6 and 8.

The results of the study showed that treatment group students scored better than the control group on several sub-tests of the West Virginia standardized test. Compared to the control group, students in the treatment group increased their Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (SAT-9) Reading Vocabulary score by 13.1% of the total sample mean and their Reading Comprehension score by 10.5%. Student gains transferred over to other areas of academic performance.

"I was astonished by the results. In the "No Child Left Behind" era, Merit Software is a lifesaver," remarked Dr. Robert Bickel, the project's statistician.

“These results show that Merit Software is a remarkably useful intervention for educators faced with meeting the demands of high-stakes testing with limited resources,” says Dr. Jerry Jones, the project's lead researcher.

The Merit Software programs selected for the evaluation were: Accu-Reading, Grammar Fitness, Vocabulary Fitness and Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Effective Reading. The programs are self-paced tutorials. Students get immediate feedback whether their answers are right or wrong. Merit’s context-sensitive tips help students learn faster than with traditional methods of instruction.

Calhoun County Middle/High School was chosen as a test site primarily because the school district has demonstrated a strong initiative in adopting innovative ideas to improve instruction. It also has a stable, albeit impoverished, population. Participating students spent at least six hours on the computer with a Merit Software program in the course of a month. Variables that were monitored included the number of times a participating student used a Merit software program.

Teachers at the school selected which classes would participate in the evaluation and which would receive regular instruction as a control group. Students were assigned to their classes the previous summer by the school district’s classroom management software.

For more information on Merit Software and their entire line of educational software, plus full purchasing details, please visit www.meritsoftware.com.

ABOUT MERIT SOFTWARE: Located in New York, Merit Software (www.meritsoftware.com) is a leading publisher of children’s educational software. For over fifteen years, Merit Software has put an emphasis on providing the core competencies for students of grades 3-12 and up. Merit Software is a favorite of educators, students and parents nationwide and is currently being used in thousands of educational facilities. Designed with an emphasis on ease of use plus maximum instructional content, Merit Software offers a comprehensive suite of products targeted for educational excellence.