Research

True to its roots in the classrooms of its founders, AcademicMerit has honed its product development through ongoing research aimed at not only establishing the merits of the underlying pedagogy, but also the usability of each tool. In addition to the two studies below, the company is conducting case studies during the ’11-’12 school year at a select number of districts intended to determine the best approaches for ensuring successful implementation of its suite of tools.

• Maine Pilot Study (2011)

  Based on the results of 2009-10 Literary Companion Impact Study, AcademicMerit collaborated with the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) during the second semester of the 2010-11 school year to conduct a large-scale pilot-study of all three of its products—Literary Companion, Assessments21^®, and FineTune™. This study was overseen by Dr. David Silvernail of the Center for Educational Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation (CEPARE) at the University of Southern Maine.

  The purpose of this larger study was two-fold: to examine the perceived value of all three products by teachers to leverage technology to enhance learning and instruction, in general, and to examine the merits of these programs as a model for linking professional development and formative assessment to help schools align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

  

• Literary Companion Impact Study (2009-10)

  During the 2009-10 school year, Dr. David Silvernail of CEPARE conducted an impact study of Literary Companion among teachers and students in five high schools.

  This study concluded, "the evidence indicates that Literary Companion is an effective suite of online tools for improving both instruction and learning. It is a good example of the way in which technology may be integrated into classroom instruction, and because of its features, it is an excellent example of how technology may be used effectively in helping teachers improve their students' learning."