Several research reports from the NSF-funded LieCal Project have been published. LieCal is a longitudinal investigation of the effect of curriculum, including CMP 1, on Algebra Learning.

Research Articles from the LieCal Project

Cai, J., Nie, B., & Moyer, J. (In Press). The teaching of equation solving: Approaches in Standards-based and traditional curricula in the United States. Pedagogies: An International Journal.

Cai, J., Moyer, J. C., Wang, N., & Nie, B. (2011). Examining Students' Algebraic Thinking in a Curricular Context: A longitudinal study. In J. Cai & E. Knuth (Eds.), Early algebraization: Cognitive, curricular, and instructional perspectives. New York: Springer.

Cai, J., Ning, W., Bikai, N., Moyer, J., & Wang, C., (2010). Learning Mathematics from Classroom Instruction Using Standards-Based and Traditional Curricula: An Analysis of Instructional Tasks. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Denver, CO, April 29-May 3, 2010.

Cai, J., Moyer, J., Nie, B., & Wang, N. (2009). Learning mathematics from classroom Instruction using Standards-based and traditional curricula: An analysis of Instructional tasks. In S. L. Swars, D. W. Stinson, & S. Lemons-Smith (Eds.), Proceedings of the 31st annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 5, pp. 692-699 ). Atlanta, GA: Georgia State University.

Moyer, J., Cai, J., Laughlin, C., & Wang, N. (2009). The effect of curriculum type on middle grades instruction. In S. L. Swars, D. W. Stinson, & S. Lemons-Smith (Eds.), Proceedings of the 31st annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 5, pp. 201-209 ). Atlanta, GA: Georgia State University.

Nie, B., Cai, J., & Moyer, J. (2009). How a standards-based mathematics curriculum differs from a traditional curriculum: with a focus on intended treatments of the ideas of variable. Zentralblatt fuer Didaktik der Mathematik (International Journal on Mathematics Education), 41(6), 777–792.

Cai, J., Moyer, J. C., Wang, N., & Nie, B. (2009). Curricular impact on the development of algebraic thinking: A longitudinal study. In M. Tzekaki, M. Kaldrimidou, & H. Sakonidis (Eds.), Proceedings of the 33rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 2. pp. 241 – 248). Thessaloniki, Greece: PME.

Cai, J. & Moyer J. C. (2006). A conceptual framework for studying curricular effects on students’ learning: Conceptualization and design in the LieCal Project. Poster presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the International Group of Psychology of Mathematics Education, Prague, Czech Republic: Charles University in Prague.

The Effects of Connected Mathematics Project 2 on Student Performance (November 14,2008)

This independent efficacy research study, conducted by Dr. Rebecca Eddy of Claremont Graduate University’s Institute of Organizational and Program Evaluation Research, reported that CMP2 students demonstrated significantly greater gains in problem-solving, math communication, and math reasoning strategies than their peers using other math programs as evidenced by performance on the Balanced Assessment of Mathematics (BAM). In addition, CMP2 students demonstrated significant improvement from pretest to posttest in the areas of concepts and problems, estimation, and computations as evidenced by performance on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). The difference in achievement between Latino students and Caucasian students on the BAM assessment was significantly smaller than the difference between Caucasian and Latino students who used other math programs” The study will follow the 6th grade students into 7th grade. For a full report of the study click here (PDF download).

Longitudinal Study of Connected Mathematics 2 (in progress as of 2006)

Preliminary work is underway on a comprehensive study of the implementation of Connected Mathematics 2. The national study, which will be coordinated by Horizon Research, Inc., will compare 25 pairs of schools. Each pair comprises a CMP2 school and an appropriately matched school that uses a more "typical" middle school mathematics curriculum.

According to the study's proposal, the three primary research questions are as follows:

How does using CMP2 instead of a non-CMP2 middle school curriculum affect the tested mathematics achievement of students?
How does using CMP2 instead of a non-CMP2 middle school curriculum affect "achievement gaps" among demographic groups of interest?
How does variation of implementation fidelity of CMP2 affect student achievement?

Results of the study will be made available here upon its completion and publication.