PRESS RELEASE February 21, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- An innovative teaching program is showing larger class sizes and a shortage of teachers in Florida don't have to add up to poor student performance.

A Florida TaxWatch study released today takes an in-depth look at Project CHILD, an innovative computer-integrated teaching model designed to help students thrive in the information age. (CHILD stands for "Computers Helping Instruction and Learning Development.") The results give hope that Florida schools can help relieve the challenges posed by school over-crowding.

Florida TaxWatch President Dominic M. Calabro presented the results of the study in Tallahassee Wednesday, flanked by Florida Education Commissioner Charlie Crist, Project CHILD creator Dr. Sally Butzin and lawmakers who are key supporters of the innovative teaching model.

"I have seen first-hand the excitement in these Project CHILD classrooms," Crist said. "This is a good example of the innovative teaching we need to overcome the challenges of large classrooms and a shortage of teachers."

"Smaller classrooms are a noble goal," said Dr. Butzin, Executive Director of the Institute for School Innovation. "However, as we work to achieve that goal, we need to find ways to provide quality education with or without smaller classrooms."

The TaxWatch study provides a comprehensive assessment of Project CHILD, focusing on both the implementation process and the outcomes.

"Florida TaxWatch compared performance in three diverse elementary schools with Project CHILD to students in traditional schools to determine whether the program could maintain high performance levels despite larger classroom sizes," said Dominic M. Calabro, President of Florida TaxWatch. "The answer is a very encouraging YES."

The three research schools located in Broward, Duval, and Hernando Counties with approximately 30 students per Project CHILD class were compared to three demographically and academically similar schools with smaller class sizes. Comparisons were based on Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT), the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT 9) and the Norm Reference Test (NRT). The difference in student scores in two of the three Project CHILD schools were statistically significant when compared with their counterparts at traditional schools with smaller class sizes.

"When you consider this was the first year of the research at these schools, the results are a strong indication of potential student and taxpayer benefits of Project CHILD," Calabro said. "Further study should be conducted over the next few years to see if the results hold up over time."

The study also found that Project CHILD makes economic sense. If substantially implemented statewide, the Project CHILD model with 30 students per class could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in savings each year

Project CHILD teaches children how to learn independently by integrating computers and hands-on learning into the daily classroom instruction and utilizing teachers as subject specialists. More than a decade of independent evaluations have shown that Project CHILD students learn more and have better behavior. The CHILD system has been embraced by 49 elementary schools throughout 26 of Florida's 67 school districts, impacting nearly 10,000 students.

"We'd like more students to reap the academic benefits of this program," Butzin said. "It could take years to make significant progress in reducing class sizes, and our children can't afford to wait. We have to find a way to make every school year count and we are extremely encouraged by the results of this independent study."

"Overall, the evaluation suggests Project CHILD has made a positive difference on student performance and has the potential to generate significant taxpayer cost savings/avoidance if expanded appropriately," Calabro said.

Now in the second year of research on class size effects, the expanded CHILD model is being replicated in two additional elementary schools in Sarasota and Lake Counties, and Florida TaxWatch will continue to evaluate the effects in the five schools. A third and final phase of the research is planned for the 2001-2002 school year.

The Florida Legislature provided funding in the 1999-2000 Fiscal Year to the Institute for School Innovation to design and implement this research study utilizing the Project CHILD model to determine its effects on academic achievement in classes of 30 or more students. An evaluation was conducted by Florida TaxWatch using students in three diverse and geographically dispersed elementary schools throughout the state of Florida. The study was comprised of the following five components:

1. Review of previous, similar, independent research conducted on Project CHILD.

2. Analysis of the checklist developed by Project CHILD used to determine the degree of implementation of the Project CHILD Essential Components in each of the three research schools during the 1999-2000 school year.

3. Qualitative assessment of the academic achievements of students in Project CHILD classes. This included anecdotal evidence from Project CHILD principals, teachers, students and parents regarding the way in which Project CHILD has affected the educational experiences of students. This was completed by the Institute for School Innovation staff.

4. Examination of the cost-effectiveness of the enhanced Project CHILD model in increasing academic achievement as compared to traditional classroom teaching models with fewer students.

5. Quantitative assessment of academic achievement (as measured by standardized test scores) of students in Project CHILD classes compared to the academic achievements of comparable students in traditional classes. TaxWatch compared students' scores on the FCAT, the SAT 9, and the NRT from CHILD classes of 30 or more students to students scores from analogous; traditional classes of 21 students or less at non-Project CHILD schools. The Independent Samples t-Test and the Mann Whitney non-parametric test for comparing two populations were used in this analysis.

The Institute for School Innovation selected the following three schools for Phase I of the study:

Tedder Elementary School, Pompano Beach (Broward County) - an urban, school-wide Title I school with 84% minority, with 84% of students receiving free/reduced lunch. Project CHILD is implemented throughout three quarters of the school.

Floyd Elementary School, Spring Hill (Hernando County) - a suburban, 12% minority school with 39% of students receiving free/reduced lunch. Project CHILD is implemented school-wide.

Windy Hill Elementary, Jacksonville (Duval County) - an urban, Title I inclusion school, 36% minority with 54% of students receiving free/reduced lunch. Project CHILD is implemented throughout half of the school.

Research staff from Florida TaxWatch selected comparison schools with similar characteristics and demographics for the evaluation, with assistance from school officials in each of the school districts. Indicators such as urban/rural location, inclusion of Title I Program, percent of minority population, percent of free and reduced lunch and mobility rates were used as the basis for the selection of comparison schools. Availability of traditional classrooms with appropriate class size ranges is also a factor in selection of the non-Project CHILD schools. For reasons of anonymity, the comparison schools are not named in the research.

"This program looks promising as a potentially cost-effective program for school districts."
- Lt. Governor Frank Brogan

"I wholeheartedly endorse the TaxWatch study on class size in Project CHILD classrooms. Research data should guide our education policy in Florida. We can't afford to guess at what works best for 21st century students."
- Senator Anna Cowin

"Project CHILD is the kind of innovation we need in Florida's schools. The TaxWatch evaluation shows that it works. Not only does it improve the education achievements of our children, but they really enjoy learning as well! As far as I see it, that's what it's all about - our children."
- Representative Jerry Melvin