Case Study: Accelerating Student Learning with Cognitive Assessment and Training

All Urey Middle School 7th graders and select 8th graders took the MindPrint Cognitive assessment at the beginning of the school year. Teachers used the MindPrint Profiles to teach strategies to students individually and in groups. A smaller group of 58 students with academic struggles and weaker executive functions were selected for additional intervention using the BrainWare SAFARI cognitive training program. This online program is designed to be used 3-5x per week for 30-45 minute sessions to improve cognitive functioning, particularly attention and working memory. Improvements in these areas are shown to improve student self-confidence and extend to academic achievement. Pat Crone, the students' teacher and the school's athletic director, coached students in BrainWare SAFARI. He explained how student's attitudes about learning changed. “Students told me they felt more confident in their language class or their math class. They said they felt like they knew how to tackle problems in the classroom because of the skills that they were working on within BrainWare.”

Greg Goewert, the school's principal, was especially excited to see the majority of the 7th grade students who used BrainWare improve their performance in Math and or Reading on the ILearn Indiana State Summative assessment. Almost 30% moved up a category in just one year (from Below to Approaching or from Approaching to At or Above Proficiency) in both reading and math. Goewert attributes a lot of this improvement to BrainWare.

In preparation for the 2022-23 school year, all rising 7th grade students took the MindPrint assessment at the end of their 6th grade year so school leaders and teachers can use the data over the summer to plan for the implementation when students return in the fall.