Student Impact

Teacher and administrator feedback, as well as standardized test data*, provide evidence that KnowAtom positively impacts student learning and engagement. The following case studies illustrate the immediate and longer-term benefits of implementing the KnowAtom STEM system.

Case Study: Tracy School

Tracy School

Tracy School

During the 2006-2007 school year, Tracy Elementary School invited KnowAtom to enter the Lynn Public School District. Tracy needed to improve STEM curriculum in their classrooms. In the year prior to KnowAtom implementation, the school reported 10 percent student proficiency in aggregate on the science and technology/engineering (STE) MCAS, and 45 percent of students fell within the “warning” category.

To engage Tracy, KnowAtom offered a horizontally-and-vertically aligned STEM curriculum that was mapped directly to the Massachusetts framework requirements and that incorporated educator feedback, administrative objectives, and classroom observations. All materials needed to deliver the lessons were provided by KnowAtom and framework requirements were translated into individual lesson plans to synchronize content delivery and best practices.

The curriculum’s success was validated by that year’s Massachusetts Common Assessment Program (MCAS) data, which confirmed Tracy School student fifth graders increased 12 percentage points on the 2009 STE MCAS as a result of curriculum changes. The following year, Tracy showed an additional 9 percentage point increase in proficiency and an overall reduction in “warning” of 22 percentage points.

Case Study: Manchester Essex Regional School District

In 2010-2011, Manchester Essex Regional School District (MERSD) partnered with KnowAtom to improve the district’s STEM curriculum.

KnowAtom’s fifth grade STEM system was implemented over a seven-month period resulting in a district-wide increase in Science, Engineering, and Technology proficiency. The increase of 17 percentage points on standardized MCAS testing included a 9 percentage point reduction of students scoring in the “warning” category. The success of this first step moved MERSD up 137 places in the STEM rank among all 309 Massachusetts districts–from a rank of 202 in 2010 to 65 in 2011.

*Data Source: “Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education MCAS Annual Comparisons 2010.”