Reasoning Mind Expands to More Houston Area Schools Due to a $1.2 Million Grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation
This Grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation Funds Reasoning Mind and Houston A+ Challenge and Will Improve Math Education in Elementary and Middle Schools Throughout the Houston School District.
Houston, TX, December 19, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Reasoning Mind (RM) is pleased to announce that it will benefit from a $1.2 million grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation as it works to improve math education for students in the greater Houston area. The check was presented to The Houston A+ Challenge on Wednesday morning. Through their partnership with A+ Challenge, these funds will allow Reasoning Mind to expand to more Houston schools and to offer existing Houston-area RM students and teachers the support they need to systemically change the method in which mathematics instruction is delivered.
Speakers for the announcement at HISD’s Burnet Elementary included ExxonMobil Foundation President Gerald McElvy, HISD Superintendent Dr. Abelardo Saavedra, Houston A+ Challenge Executive Director Scott Van Beck, and Reasoning Mind President Alex Khachatryan.
“Reasoning Mind’s success in teaching elementary mathematics is grounded in a world-class curriculum, which is built on the tradition of excellence in high-achieving countries. The program is technology-based and keeps students constantly engaged with interactive content, animations and games.” said Dr. Khachatryan. “This computer system is quite ‘smart’ in providing individualized instruction to every student. More challenging assignments are given only to those students who are ready for them; at the same time the system can diagnose weaknesses in students’ knowledge and then successfully remedy them.”
At the press conference, Gerald McElvy noted the need for programs such as Reasoning Mind due to the continued decline of student interest in math in the U.S. as a long-term serious threat to the nation’s economy. He also commented that standardized test results show in earlier grades students do not comprehend the fundamentals needed for success in higher grades. Reasoning Mind hopes to change this decline one school at a time until all students in the U.S. can receive a high-quality education. RM’s plan is to double enrollment each year; 3,500 students are currently enrolled for the 2008-2009 school year. The program is being implemented in 58 schools in Houston, Dallas, Alief, Aldine, Angleton, New Orleans, and Compton school districts.
Reasoning Mind, a Houston-based non-profit, was founded in November of 2000 by mathematician Dr. Alexander Khachatryan to improve the K-12 educational system. Dr. Khachatryan became dissatisfied with math and science teaching as a result of his efforts to provide his son with a good education. He formulated the concepts behind RM and brought together a team of donors, staff and volunteers. Under the leadership of the board of trustees, chaired by Houston philanthropist Ernest H. Cockrell, RM raised the necessary funds and developed a strategy for bringing this advanced math education system to American students. Teams of pedagogy experts worked to design a curriculum based both on the strong math teaching traditions in Europe and Asia and on recent breakthrough results in American educational research. Programmers created an integrated learning environment, and web-designers produced artwork and animations for the website.
RM’s aim is not only to teach children mathematics, but also to develop logical reasoning skills – something that will serve children for the rest of their lives. Teachers confirm that RM is reaching this ambitious goal: 100% of RM teachers surveyed stated that RM developed students’ thinking skills. “My feelings increase as each day goes by with how much the Reasoning Mind program is making a huge difference with my students. Their gains are so obvious, and I’m like a proud parent,” said Rebecca Schiller, a teacher at Angleton middle school.
According to test results, RM students achieve at higher levels than students taking traditional math classes. For example, in the 2007-2008 school year, RM students at Wilson Intermediate outperformed the control group of non-RM students on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) passing and commended rates; RM special education students at Wilson outperformed their non-RM peers by a significant margin, achieving a passing rate of 50% compared to 17% for the control group. Mable Holt, the principal of Wilson, said of these special needs students, “I would say they probably learned more math this year than in the four previous years.”
Students enthusiastically accept this new method of learning: 92% of those students who have a preference between RM and the traditional classroom prefer RM. “If you’re reading this and you’re going to fifth grade next year or someone you know is going to fifth grade, recommend it. It is so fun and cool that you cannot resist. When I have free time (to go on anything) I go on RM,” wrote an RM student on an end-of-year anonymous attitude survey.
The Reasoning Mind Program will continue adding more schools and students as well as expanding the curriculum to include more grade levels. RM currently teaches fifth and sixth graders and is developing a curriculum for grades two through four, due to be finished by August 2009.
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Speakers for the announcement at HISD’s Burnet Elementary included ExxonMobil Foundation President Gerald McElvy, HISD Superintendent Dr. Abelardo Saavedra, Houston A+ Challenge Executive Director Scott Van Beck, and Reasoning Mind President Alex Khachatryan.
“Reasoning Mind’s success in teaching elementary mathematics is grounded in a world-class curriculum, which is built on the tradition of excellence in high-achieving countries. The program is technology-based and keeps students constantly engaged with interactive content, animations and games.” said Dr. Khachatryan. “This computer system is quite ‘smart’ in providing individualized instruction to every student. More challenging assignments are given only to those students who are ready for them; at the same time the system can diagnose weaknesses in students’ knowledge and then successfully remedy them.”
At the press conference, Gerald McElvy noted the need for programs such as Reasoning Mind due to the continued decline of student interest in math in the U.S. as a long-term serious threat to the nation’s economy. He also commented that standardized test results show in earlier grades students do not comprehend the fundamentals needed for success in higher grades. Reasoning Mind hopes to change this decline one school at a time until all students in the U.S. can receive a high-quality education. RM’s plan is to double enrollment each year; 3,500 students are currently enrolled for the 2008-2009 school year. The program is being implemented in 58 schools in Houston, Dallas, Alief, Aldine, Angleton, New Orleans, and Compton school districts.
Reasoning Mind, a Houston-based non-profit, was founded in November of 2000 by mathematician Dr. Alexander Khachatryan to improve the K-12 educational system. Dr. Khachatryan became dissatisfied with math and science teaching as a result of his efforts to provide his son with a good education. He formulated the concepts behind RM and brought together a team of donors, staff and volunteers. Under the leadership of the board of trustees, chaired by Houston philanthropist Ernest H. Cockrell, RM raised the necessary funds and developed a strategy for bringing this advanced math education system to American students. Teams of pedagogy experts worked to design a curriculum based both on the strong math teaching traditions in Europe and Asia and on recent breakthrough results in American educational research. Programmers created an integrated learning environment, and web-designers produced artwork and animations for the website.
RM’s aim is not only to teach children mathematics, but also to develop logical reasoning skills – something that will serve children for the rest of their lives. Teachers confirm that RM is reaching this ambitious goal: 100% of RM teachers surveyed stated that RM developed students’ thinking skills. “My feelings increase as each day goes by with how much the Reasoning Mind program is making a huge difference with my students. Their gains are so obvious, and I’m like a proud parent,” said Rebecca Schiller, a teacher at Angleton middle school.
According to test results, RM students achieve at higher levels than students taking traditional math classes. For example, in the 2007-2008 school year, RM students at Wilson Intermediate outperformed the control group of non-RM students on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) passing and commended rates; RM special education students at Wilson outperformed their non-RM peers by a significant margin, achieving a passing rate of 50% compared to 17% for the control group. Mable Holt, the principal of Wilson, said of these special needs students, “I would say they probably learned more math this year than in the four previous years.”
Students enthusiastically accept this new method of learning: 92% of those students who have a preference between RM and the traditional classroom prefer RM. “If you’re reading this and you’re going to fifth grade next year or someone you know is going to fifth grade, recommend it. It is so fun and cool that you cannot resist. When I have free time (to go on anything) I go on RM,” wrote an RM student on an end-of-year anonymous attitude survey.
The Reasoning Mind Program will continue adding more schools and students as well as expanding the curriculum to include more grade levels. RM currently teaches fifth and sixth graders and is developing a curriculum for grades two through four, due to be finished by August 2009.
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Contact
Reasoning Mind, Inc.
Jennifer Kim
832-476-9269
www.reasoningmind.org
Jennifer Kim
832-476-9269
www.reasoningmind.org
Contact
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