Houghton Mifflin Co. News Release - November 28, 2005

New Study Shows McDougal Littell Middle School Math Reduces the Achievement Gap Among Minority Students and Improves Their Attitudes Toward Math

BOSTON — November 28, 2005 —  McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company, announced today that the McDougal Littell Middle School Math program reduces the achievement gap for minority students and improves their attitudes toward math, according to an independent study comparing the effectiveness of middle school math textbooks.

“Minority children using the McDougal Littell Middle School Math program scored 6.3 percent better on average than minorities using other math programs, said Catherine Callow-Heusser, Ph.D., director of EndVision Research and Evaluation and principal investigator of the study. “This is a pronounced and significant effect on achievement, particularly given the relatively short intervention time during the study and the timeframe in which teachers had to get up to speed using a new program with such a rich variety of materials.”

Seventeen classrooms participated in the yearlong study in which data was gathered through student assessment, classroom observations, surveys, interviews and focus groups. The minority composition of classrooms ranged from 0 percent to 51 percent, with an average of 18 percent identified as minority in the classrooms using the McDougal Littell textbook program and an average of 20 percent as minority in the classrooms using other programs.

Following are key findings of the study:

• Minority students using McDougal Littell Middle School Math reported the most favorable attitudes toward math.
• Many of the teachers using McDougal Littell Middle School Math reported that the textbook program gave them more resources, more opportunities for exploring and more room to experiment and discover, as well as helped them infuse more energy into their lessons, provide more practice examples and save more time.
• The majority of the teachers using McDougal Littell Middle School Math reported that the program increased their knowledge of math content and made them more effective instructors.
• Teachers using McDougal Littell Middle School Math most often listed the Notetaking Guide and the textbook as the most effective program components, followed by the organization of the materials, the resources supporting differentiated instruction and the technology components that supported instruction. One teacher commented, “The students are more able to learn from this text than any other text I have been in contact with.”
• Many students said they liked the Notetaking Guide because it was linked to the textbook, which helped them to understand the math better. In classes that used the guide regularly, students liked the vocabulary and steps for doing problems.

“Engaging students in mathematics and giving teachers the tools to be successful in the classroom are two of the most important issues in math education,” said Leo Murphy, vice president and publisher of Math and Science, McDougal Littell. “This study provides strong evidence that students can embrace mathematics and will enjoy learning with McDougal Littell Middle School Math.”

The McDougal Littell Middle School Math program is research-based and aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics principles and standards for school mathematics. The authors are Dr. Ron Larson, professor of mathematics at Penn State University at Erie; Laurie Boswell, chair of mathematics at Profile Junior-Senior High School in Bethlehem, New Hampshire; Dr. Timothy Kanold, superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 in Lincolnshire, Illinois; and Dr. Lee Stiff, professor of mathematics education at North Carolina State University at Raleigh.

Because research shows that ongoing, embedded assessment provides feedback to help teachers plan instruction, McDougal Littell Middle School Math provides materials for diagnosing how well students understand the material, for differentiating instruction to reach all students, for assessing student progress and for providing remediation. The curriculum also emphasizes important test-taking skills and problem-solving strategies for students.

For more information about the study, visit http://www.mcdougallittell.com/mathresearch.

About McDougal Littell
McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company, is among the fastest growing publishers in the United States, recognized for its innovation, dedication and responsiveness to the needs of educators. Based in Evanston, Illinois, the Company publishes print and technology materials for language arts, mathematics, social studies, world languages, and science for grades 6 through 12. The Company’s Web site can be found at www.mcdougallittell.com.

About Houghton Mifflin Company
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Company is one of the leading educational publishers in the United States, with over $1 billion in sales. Houghton Mifflin publishes textbooks, instructional technology, assessments and other educational materials for elementary and secondary schools and colleges. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers. Houghton Mifflin offers computer-administered testing programs and services for the professional and certification markets. With its origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. The Company's Web site can be found at www.hmco.com.