Boston, Mass., May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 575 elementary school students from across Massachusetts were celebrated at the New England Aquarium for their achievements and perseverance with ST Math, a conceptual mathematics program based on the neuroscience of learning. Mass STEM Hub, a program of the One8 Foundation, organized this event in collaboration with MIND Research Institute and the New England Aquarium.
ST Math is a visual instructional program that builds a deep conceptual understanding of math through rigorous learning and creative problem solving to engage, motivate and challenge PreK-8 students toward higher math achievement. ST Math was developed to be effective with and engaging for all students - including English Language Learners, learning disabled and high-achieving students. In ST Math classroom games, students solve visual mathematical puzzles with JiJi – the beloved penguin of ST Math games.
According to Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), less than half of middle school students are proficient in math. But, ST math has proven to help students advance in math understanding, achievement and most importantly confidence that they are good at math and interest in doing math. And their growing understanding shows in state testing scores. In a comparison of MCAS results from the 2013/14 and 2016/17 school years, ST Math schools that implemented with high fidelity outgrew their counterparts in statewide math performance rank by 7.4 percentile points.
“It’s great for the kids to do [math] without words. I see a lot more perseverance. I see children who are picking up concepts prior to being taught them in the classroom… so when we come into that part of the curriculum, they already have a great base of knowledge to go back to,” noted Bernadette Bazzett, 4th grade teacher from Whitin Intermediate School in Uxbridge, MA.
MIND Research Institute has partnered with the One8 Foundation to support 114 Massachusetts schools to offer ST Math programs for all students, seeking to expand high-quality elementary math.
“Our collaboration with Mass STEM Hub has amplified our efforts to mathematically equip all students,” said Karin Wu, Executive Vice President and Executive Director of Social Impact at MIND Research Institute. “In addition to making our highly effective and engaging visual instructional program, ST Math, accessible to schools across the Commonwealth, the staff at One8 Foundation has also provided us with the strategic guidance necessary to develop and execute on first-rate implementation, teacher support, and data evaluation. As we strive towards transformative impact, we are very grateful for One8 Foundation’s continuous partnership.”
During the celebration event at the New England Aquarium, students explored the Aquarium with their teachers, viewed an IMAX movie, and engaged in ocean-themed math games. One game called “How Much Water?” challenged students to estimate the world’s amount of potable water and reflect on strategies for water conservation.
“The New England Aquarium aims to provide experiential STEM learning opportunities - like today’s event with Mass STEM Hub and MIND Research Institute- to help young people develop knowledge and skills they can apply to conservation. We were thrilled to help celebrate student achievement in ST Math, meanwhile helping to inspire the next generation of environmental problem solvers,” noted Billy Spitzer, Vice President for Programs, Exhibits, and Planning at the New England Aquarium.
Students’ engagement with ST Math was most apparent when they met JiJi. Students were ecstatic to meet JiJi in person and to see the penguin exhibit at the New England Aquarium.
“We do our ‘JiJi time’ at the end of the day. That’s one of the hardest time of the day to for kids to stay focused [but] we have kids working up to the bell, they don’t want to go home,” noted Heath Squires, 6th grade teacher from Union Hill School in Worcester. “[There is] such genuine enjoyment and buy in from the kids.”
To choose students to attend the celebratory event at the New England Aquarium, schools considered both perseverance and achievement. 31 schools came from across the state from as far north as Haverhill, as far south as Westport, and as far west as Worcester.
Mass STEM Hub partnered with MIND Research Institute and the New England Aquarium to create this opportunity to celebrate students’ perseverance and accomplishments.
“The goal of today’s event was to celebrate the hard work of students and teachers, specifically members of our first ST Math cohort,” commented Katherine Skrivan, Director of Mass STEM Hub. ”We could not be prouder of the quality work in ST Math classrooms across the state.”
About One8 Foundation and Mass STEM Hub
One8 Foundation is committed to expanding access to high quality STEM and applied learning to Commonwealth schools. Mass STEM Hub is a program of the One8 Foundation and its mission is to provide schools with access to and support for the next level of STEM education that engages students and prepares them to succeed in a rapidly changing, high tech world. This year the One8 Foundation and Mass STEM Hub helped scale ST Math curriculum to114 schools in Massachusetts enabling students to learn mathematics visually and conceptually. The Foundation and Mass STEM Hub have helped scale Project Lead The Way’s K-12 curriculum in engineering, computer science and biomedical science to over 35,000 students in Massachusetts. www.mass-stemhub.org
About MIND Research Instititute
MIND Research Institute is a neuroscience and education social impact organization, dedicated to ensuring that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the world’s most challenging problems. MIND is the creator of ST Math®, a visual instructional program that builds deep conceptual understanding of math through rigorous and creative problem solving to engage, motivate, and challenge Pre-K-8 students toward higher achievement. ST Math incorporates the latest in learning and the brain, promoting mastery-based learning and mathematical understanding. Longitudinal and broad-based studies across diverse population groups continue to demonstrate ST Math’s efficacy in building lifelong learners prepared for success in STEM fields. ST Math currently reaches more than 1.2 million students and 56,000 teachers at 4,300 schools in 47 states. For more information, visit stmath.com.
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