This case study summarizes the experience of six schools that elected to implement BrainWare with students in middle elementary grades, with the support of the Big Shoulders Fund in Chicago, IL. Big Shoulders Fund provides support to Catholic schools in the neediest areas of inner-city Chicago. Student growth and outcomes were tracked over time using the ACT Aspire Interim assessments,

Four of six schools showed to have sufficient to high usage levels. Two schools showed no usage data during the year. In schools where BrainWare was used more heavily, ACT Aspire Interim testing showed the following:

• 17 of 29 students demonstrated positive growth in Math from Interim I to Interim II testing
• Growth in number of students reaching the readiness benchmark in Math Interim I to Interim II
• 6 BrainWare users had scores increase considerably, going up by more than 4 points

At St. Mary of the Angels, there were several students with significant usage. Amongst that group of students, the more frequent BrainWare users all saw their Math scores improve from Interim I to Interim III. Two of the three students moved from Below Benchmark in Interim I to Meets Benchmark in Interim III. A few students with less but still sufficient usage had Interim scores increase in each testing and moved from Below Benchmark in Interim I to Meets Benchmark in Interim III.

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