Houghton Mifflin Co. News Release - March 9, 2009

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Math Expressions and Saxon Math at Forefront of Mathematics Curricula Resulting in Higher Math Achievement, According to New Federal Study

Largest-of-its-kind survey illustrates that early math programs significantly outperform other programs, leading the way in math achievement

BOSTON — March 9, 2009 — Recently-released results from a large-scale federal study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences show that Math Expressions and Saxon Math, both published by global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, significantly outperform two other early mathematics programs in instructional effectiveness and student achievement.

"Achievement Effects of Four Early Elementary School Math Curricula" presents findings from randomized trials of first-graders in 39 schools who used the various math curricula during the 2006–2007 school year. The study, which is the largest of its kind, compared the instructional approaches of four widely used elementary school mathematics programs in the United States:

• Schools assigned to Math Expressions and Saxon Math reported significantly higher student achievement than those assigned to Investigations in Number, Data, and Space and Scott Foresman–Addison Wesley Mathematics (SFAW), both published by Pearson.
• An average-performing student's percentile rank would improve by 9–12 points if the school used Math Expressions or Saxon Math in place of Investigations or SFAW.
• Students in subgroups, including those in lower-performing schools and in schools with higher poverty levels who used Math Expressions and Saxon Math, showed improvements greater than those using Investigations or SFAW.

Using an approach that emphasizes in-depth, sustained learning of grade-level concepts and mastery of skills, Math Expressions brings K–5 students to fluency with word problems, math drawings, and accessible algorithms. Developed as part of the National Science Foundation's Children's Math Worlds Project, Math Expressions is based on ten years of research with more than 200 teachers and 5,000 students in both urban and suburban classrooms. Distinguished educational researcher Dr. Karen Fuson is the program's author.

Through a unique pedagogical approach based on incremental learning, Saxon Math blends instruction with daily practice and regular assessment and connects math strands continuously to ensure comprehension and skills mastery. The program, for students in K–12, incorporates more than 25 years of research and classroom experience. Nancy Larson, Stephen Hake, Dr. Frank Wang, and Pat Wrigley are the authors of Saxon Math.

"Based on strong qualitative feedback from teachers and superintendents, we've always known that Math Expressions and Saxon Math are not only popular but, more importantly, highly effective and measurable programs," said Mike Lavelle, K–12 President, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. "This federal study provides even more quantitative data to prove our programs' efficacy goes beyond that of our competitors'. Simply put, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's math programs boost student achievement."

The study will continue and include a total of 110 schools, 71 of which joined during the 2007–2008 school year. Results from all participating schools, including those in a second year of curriculum implementation, will be presented in a follow-up report. To learn more about the study, visit www.mathematica-mpr.com.

To learn more about Math Expressions, visit www.eduplace.com/hmhschool/mathexpressions. For additional information regarding Saxon Math, visit www.saxonmath.com.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world's largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K–12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.

Study Citation
Roberto Agodini, Barbara Harris, Sally Atkins-Burnett, Sheila Heaviside, Timothy Novak, and Robert Murphy (2009). Achievement Effects of Four Early Elementary School Math Curricula: Findings from First Graders in 39 Schools (NCEE 2009-4052). Washington, DC: NationalCenter for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S.Department of Education.