Effectiveness
Research
As summarized by University of California, Berkeley commissioned byNCREL and Metiri Group (2000)
Since it was developed in the 1980s, the effectiveness
of the Jasper series has been continually and thoroughly researched. The
ongoing formative assessments have informed ongoing development and improvement
of the series. A 1990 U.S. study involved a diverse population including
special needs students (e.g., gifted, learning disabled, ESL) in sixteen
schools from nine states. The following summary is excerpted from a University
of California, Berkeley study:
"Classes using three or four Jasper adventures over
a school year were compared with control classes on several measures.
Aggregate pretest scores were equivalent for both groups. Post-test data
indicate Jasper students performed as well as or better on standardized
tests, even though the Jasper classes had spent three or four weeks less
on the regular math curriculum. Jasper students also demonstrated superior
performance on one-, two-, and multi-step word problems. Finally, Jasper
students scored much higher on planning and sub-goal comprehension problems
than their control counterparts. In attitude surveys Jasper students showed
less anxiety toward mathematics and were more likely to see mathematics
as relevant to everyday life. Jasper students were also more likely to
appreciate complex challenges." |
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"Post-test data indicate Jasper students performed
as well as or better on standardized tests, even though the Jasper classes
had spent three or four weeks less on the regular math curriculum."
-Vanderbilt University
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