Brain Hurricane’s instructional program is available to English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities (SWDs), through a modified academic plan, which will complement the student’s school program, including appropriate accommodations and curriculum modifications delineated in the student’s IEP and/or 504 plan.
Using Brain Hurricane’s online database we track EL and SWD performance. The publisher of the ITBS (Riverside Publishing) has identified cut scores on the ITBS that, based on their ongoing studies, are predictive of student performance during standardized testing. Students above the cut score on the ITBS are predicted to score “advanced” or “proficient” on their respective state standardized test. Pre- and post- test scoring utilizes fall and spring norms, which account for normal instruction provided during a school year. Thus the below gains are likely from Brain Hurricane treatment.
EL Outcomes: In 2008-09 Brain Hurricane provided service to 232 EL students in CA. On the pre-test only 22.0% scored above the cut score in reading and 21.6% scored above the cut score in math. On the post-test 37.1% of students scored above the cut score in reading and 33.6% scored above the cut score in math. This represents a more than 50% increase in the number of students predicted to score ‘proficient’ or ‘advanced’ on standardized testing due to Brain Hurricane treatment. In 2009-10 Brain Hurricane provided service to 501 EL students in California. On the pre-test only 27.7% of EL students scored above the cut score in reading and 25.9% scored above the cut score in math. On the post-test 45.5% of those students scored above the cut score in reading and 50.9% of those students scored above the cut score in math. This represents nearly twice as many students predicted to score ‘proficient’ or ‘advanced’ on standardized testing due to Brain Hurricane treatment.
SWD Outcomes: Because there are fewer students with disabilities we have chosen to report Brain Hurricane student outcomes across the entire country, instead of just in California. In 2008/09 we served 126 students with disabilities. On the pre-test 15.9% and 12.7% scored above the cut score in reading and math, respectively. On the post-test 29.4% and 21.4% scored above the cut scores in reading and math, respectively. This represents a nearly 100% increase in the number of students scoring above the cut score in reading and 35% increase in the number of students scoring above the cut score in math, due to Brain Hurricane treatment. In 2009-10 we served 131 students with disabilities. On the pre-test 16% and 11.5% scored above the cut score in reading and math, respectively. On the post test 32.8% and 23.7% scored above the cut scores on reading and math, respectively. This represents a more than 100% increase in the number of students scoring above the cut score in both reading and math due to Brain Hurricane treatment