MAC-Ro Math Initiative Leads to Achievement Gains for Participating Schools

SCOTTSDALE - October 21, 2009 - A recent study by researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) showed second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students at schools participating in the Math Achievement Club by Rodel (MAC-Ro) outperformed their peers at similar schools.

The results, coupled with the support of several new partnerships, have allowed MAC-Ro to be expanded to reach 35,000 first-through-fifth-grade students at high-need schools in nine Arizona counties during the 2009-10 school year.

The Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona contracted with researchers from ASU to evaluate the effectiveness of the MAC-Ro Math Initiative at improving the math achievement of elementary school students. The study showed the TerraNova percentile rank scores for second-grade students and the AIMS pass rates for third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students for MAC-Ro schools most closely adhering to the program guidelines were statistically significantly higher than comparison schools matched on achievement and other critical variables:

• Second-grade MAC-Ro students were on average 10 percentile points higher than their peers in comparison schools.
• Third-grade MAC-Ro students demonstrated a 10-percent higher AIMS pass rate than their comparison counterparts.
• Fourth-grade MAC-Ro students had a five-percent higher pass rate than similar students.
• Fifth-grade students participating in the pilot of the new fifth-grade MAC-Ro program saw an 11-percent improvement in AIMS pass rates while the state average remained relatively unchanged and the comparison schools actually saw a two-percent decline.

"These results demonstrate that when everyone - principals, teachers, and parents - work together to implement all components of our Rodel Math Initiative, there is measurable growth in student achievement," said Rodel President and CEO Dr. Carol Peck. "Succeeding in math at an early age opens new career paths for students and prepares them to follow their dreams."

MAC-Ro provides a fun and motivating structure in which students learn mathematics. Based on sound educational research, the primary components of MAC-Ro include standards-based materials for students, professional development for teachers and administrators and ongoing involvement for families. The program targets students in high-need schools where a majority of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

More than a dozen business partners including JPMorgan Chase, Salt River Project, and Intel have invested in the program allowing it to continue to expand each year. This year, a new grant from Science Foundation Arizona has allowed for significant expansion of MAC-Ro including reaching students in two additional rural counties: Gila and La Paz. In addition, the grant allowed for the development of Second Generation MAC-Ro booklets, which will be rolled out this fall.

All materials have been realigned to the newly adopted Arizona Mathematics Standard and new science-themed questions have been added. A Science Bonus Pack for fourth-graders has also been developed to give students more practice with science concepts. It will be piloted in 15 schools this year.

Fifth-grade MAC-Ro will be expanded to new schools after a successful pilot supported by the Arizona Diamondbacks. This expansion is made possible through grants from the Helios Education Foundation and B.H.H.S. Legacy Foundation. Helios is also supporting the development of a sixth-grade program, which will be piloted in the 2010-11 school year.

The Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona's vision is for Arizona to have one of the best pre-kindergarten through 12 educational systems in the country by 2020. For more information on the Foundation's mission and initiatives, contact Rodel at 480-367-2920.