- 17 December, 2003 -

David Ullendorff, Mathnasium Executive Vice President, announced today that the results of an independent study of Mathnasium student progress has been submitted to the company. Ullendorff said that the study had been conducted by Eyecues Corporation under the direction of its President John Watson. Eyecues, based in San Diego, California, provides comprehensive solutions for accurately assessing student knowledge. Eyecues is the developer of Assessa Technologies employed by schools for student testing. "We selected Eyecues for two reasons," said Ullendorff. "First, because we consider its technologies for testing student performance to be the most precise in the education community. Second, because the integrity of Dr. Watson and his team is beyond reproach." Dr. Watson holds a joint doctoral degree in Education from Claremont Graduate University and San Diego State University. He has been a professional technologist and researcher for over 22 years and a leader in distance learning and artificial intelligence. Watson's study showed that Mathnasium students' performance increased dramatically in as little as three to six months. Upper elementary average test scores increased 24%. Even more impressive were gains by lower elementary students, whose scores increased 46%. "We were thrilled with the data," said Ullendorff. "The study shows us that dramatic gains can be achieved much faster than most educators would consider possible." The Mathnasium Method of Instruction is the life work of math expert Larry Martinek who spent 30 years researching and testing techniques for advancing student performance in mathematics. The decision to commission an independent study was deeply considered by the management of Mathnasium and was not without internal controversy, Ullendorff acknowledged. "Companies that teach children are cautious about independent surveys, and they often avoid them. Poor results reported from an independent source can be extremely compromising. What made our commission of an independent study ambitious was our insistence on testing students who had attended Mathnasium for a very short period of time." Ullendorff said he insisted on proceeding because internal measurements by the company consistently showed significant and quick advances by students. "Independent validation is crucial when results are unusually good," he says. "The survey findings are no surprise. Larry Martinek has developed what I consider to be the world's leading system for teaching math. Mathnasium focuses exclusively on executing this method. We specialize. That's why we get impressive results." About Mathnasium Learning Centers Mathnasium Learning Centers offer "math-only" after-school educational programs in an attractive and supportive setting for children to develop much-needed math skills and build confidence in their abilities. Developed over 30 years of hands-on experience with thousands of children, the Mathnasium educational method is designed for children of all ages and skill levels. Mathnasium offers an environment and method in which children really do develop the mathematics understanding they will need to succeed in the information age. Mathnasium is headquartered in 5120 W. Goldleaf Circle, Suite 130, Los Angeles, CA 90056. Mathnasium can be reached at (323) 389-1100, info@mathnasium.com, and www.mathnasium.com.

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