Carnegie Learning, Inc. Changes the Way Students Learn Math in Louisiana.

Two Pilot Programs Implement Cognitive Tutor[R] Bridge to Algebra and Algebra I as Part of Recovery Efforts Across the State

PITTSBURGH -- Carnegie Learning, Inc., a leading publisher of math curricula for middle, high school, and higher education students, announced today that thousands of students entering school this fall in Louisiana are using Carnegie Learning math solutions as part of two separate pilot programs studying the effectiveness of Carnegie Learning's research-based approach to math education.

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDE) originally implemented Carnegie Learning's Bridge to Algebra curriculum for the 2006-2007 academic year with 8th and 9th graders in 10 schools across the state as part of Louisiana's Catch-Up Pilot Program. In June of this year, the external evaluator for the program reported that, "Preliminary data shows that the Bridge to Algebra program, when implemented with fidelity, can accelerate math achievement of students who are behind in math and who have a desire to catch-up. It is a curriculum that should be considered for wider use in both remediation and 'double-dose' instruction programs." The Catch-Up Pilot Program has been expanded in 2007-08 to place the curriculum in six additional schools.

"We are very pleased with Carnegie Learning's initial results in the Catch-Up Pilot," said Gayle Kirwan, Education Program Consultant, Louisiana Department of Education. "We know we need to make changes to reach the students who want to learn but whose needs are not currently being met. Our selection of Carnegie Learning's Bridge to Algebra for the Catch-up Pilot Program was a careful process, and we are optimistic that the curriculum can help Louisiana students achieve greater success in mathematics."

Carnegie Learning's curricula include classroom instruction and a software program that adapts to each individual student's understanding of algebraic concepts to improve problem-solving skills. In addition to providing text books and software, Carnegie Learning conducts initial teacher training and ongoing Professional Development throughout the life of the implementation.

"Education leaders in Louisiana, including New Orleans Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas and Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, are setting aggressive, ambitious goals for improving student achievement, and Carnegie Learning is happy to be part of that solution," said Dennis Ciccone, CEO of Carnegie Learning, Inc. "As is often the case, school districts in crisis are the most likely to reevaluate current methodologies, institute new ways of teaching and learning, and create change. In the future, we hope that other districts across the country will learn from Louisiana and adopt some of the successful strategies currently evolving throughout the State."

In a second, independent study in Louisiana, the RAND Corporation is evaluating the effectiveness of Carnegie Learning's Algebra I curriculum in 31 schools with nearly 3000 students. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, this randomized experiment requires that half the students in select districts throughout the State use the Carnegie Learning program, and two continue using the districts' existing Algebra I courses over a two-year period. RAND is conducting the same study in Macomb (MI) Independent School District, Houston (TX) Independent School District, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Trenton City, NJ School District, and Bridgeport, CT School District.

About Carnegie Learning, Inc. (www.carnegielearning.com)

Carnegie Learning, Inc. is a leading publisher of core, full-year mathematics solutions as well as supplemental intervention applications for middle school, high school, and postsecondary students. The company's Cognitive Tutor[R] programs are helping more than 475,000 students in over 1300 school districts across the United States succeed in math by integrating interactive software sessions, text, and student-centered classroom lessons into a unique learning platform for algebra readiness, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, high-stakes test preparation, and Integrated Math programs. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Learning was founded by cognitive science researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in conjunction with veteran mathematics teachers.