www.mindresearch.net - The non-profit MIND Research Institute in Santa Ana announced that California adopted its new one-of-a-kind, research-based program for Algebra Readiness today. "MIND Research Institute Algebra Readiness," available now, was developed by the neuroscience and education-research-based publisher as a one-year, five-days-per-week intervention class for schools. It rebuilds a solid math foundation for middle and high school students to prepare them for success in Algebra I. It's different from Pre-Algebra in that it focuses on math content necessary for Algebra I whereas Pre-Algebra also includes extras such as probability and statistics. Furthermore, Pre-Algebra doesn't attempt to go back and rebuild a solid foundation in generalizing arithmetic, whereas this is one of the main objectives of Algebra Readiness. The idea and specification of an Algebra Readiness course is the invention of James Milgram and Henry Wu in attempt solve the elementary-school math crisis your nation is in.

The program is intended for low performing students to take before entering Algebra I, or for students who failed Algebra I before they retake the class. MIND has spent seven years perfecting its software in Calif. schools, researching how students learn math and retain knowledge and documenting data that proves its effectiveness. An Algebra Readiness pilot test is in progress now with 1,300 Calif. middle and high school students, showing promising initial results.

The program includes a full-featured textbook, fully integrated with 89 new math software games using MIND's spatial temporal reasoning concepts. The innovative presentation and diagrams of its textbook explain and connect essential math concepts and skills from grades 2 through 7, which form the foundation for success in Algebra I. The research-proven math software taps the brain's natural ability to think ahead in pictures. Together, the textbook and software help ensure that struggling students, who may be multiple years below grade level and unprepared to move forward, master the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in Algebra I.

The program features MIND's patent-pending visual approach, which both engages students at any level, and explains math in a direct way they can understand and remember. It was developed in response to the persistent low student success rate in Algebra I classes and the requirement to pass a math exit exam for a high school student to receive a diploma. It was also inspired by the Calif. call for provision of a new "Algebra Readiness" course.

The epidemic of students failing algebra is national. It is exemplified by recent results from the Los Angeles Unified School District, where only 39% of students who took Algebra I for the first time passed with a C or better. MIND Research expects to release a national version of Algebra Readiness for other states in Spring 2008.

The program was developed and authored by MIND Research Co-Founder, Dr. Matthew Peterson, the neuroscientist who created MIND's research-based ST Math(TM) line of software. In developing the program, Dr. Peterson studied and analyzed the mathematics teaching methods and textbooks of countries that are highly successful in teaching math, especially Singapore. He also consulted with nationally renowned mathematicians, including W. Stephen Wilson, professor of mathematics at Johns Hopkins University, as well as highly experienced middle school math teachers. For information about the program or pricing, call MIND Research toll free at (888) 751-5443 or visit its website at www.mindresearch.net.

"The author of MIND Research Institute Algebra Readiness, Dr. Matthew Peterson, has a real feel for mathematics," said W. Stephen Wilson, Professor of Mathematics at Johns Hopkins University and former Senior Advisor for Mathematics, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. "His writing exposes the natural structure of the mathematics with both great clarity and appropriate rigor."

"As a non-profit, MIND Research Institute and its supporters are highly motivated to solve the algebra problem for students in the United States," said Dr. Peterson. "Our success in recent years in developing and implementing supplemental programs gave us confidence, and a powerful foundation, for transitioning to a full basal program. Our objective in Algebra Readiness is to rebuild the struggling student's foundational math knowledge and skills. Given a strong foundation, every student can succeed in algebra!"

The development of MIND Research Institute Algebra Readiness would not have been possible without the generous support of many donors. The lead sponsors of the project are: Anonymous, The Annenberg Foundation, Croul Family Foundation, Samueli Foundation, The Seaver Institute, The Symantec Foundation, and Toyota USA Foundation. Other sponsors include: Conexant Systems, Inc.; The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation; Northrop Grumman Foundation; The Rose Hills Foundation; John and Elizabeth Stahr; State Farm Insurance Companies; Taco Bell Corporation; and Verizon.

Julie Gates Public Relations for MIND Research Institute
Julie Gates, 562-429-5972
jgatespr@yahoo.com