Math Connections:
Math Connections is a new integrated 3-year college math preparatory curriculum. Math Connections was developed in Connecticut by Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) and Conn. DOE with grant money from NSF. CBIA interest in education is developing skilled workers (school to work).
Math Connections roughly parallels Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II.
Available research is very scant, so let us look at what is available. From http://www.mathconnections.com/evalsum01.html cites 3 studies.
The first is Steve Leinwand who studied a group of 56 students in a Connecticut school system. Leinwand tested them in eighth grade then in tenth grade using Conn. Math tests. The 56 students were split into 2 groups, one group took Pre-algebra and Algebra I over 2 years and the other Math Connections I and II. The Math Connections group scored 25 points higher in a range of 100 to 400. This is science? One would hope students that have taken Algebra I and Geometry would score better than students taking Pre-algebra and Algebra I.
Leinwand study is followed by various claims of improved CAPT, PSAT and SAT scores. Documentation is insufficient to critique these claims.
The last study evaluates math confidence and perceived usefulness of mathematics. Math Connections students scored higher in both.
No studies tracked student's performance in pre-calculus or calculus.
The publishers site http://its-about-time.com contains testimonials from various educators. An example is Eleanor Ferri math chair at Portsmouth HS RI. She says: "What I have seen with these students in MATH Connections is that many of them are now far above our regular students who are not in MATH Connections. And to think that these were the students who used to be completely turned off to math." One comes to the conclusion that students with a history of scoring poorly in math were placed in this program. The publisher claims an independent evaluation by COMPASS. Going to the COMPASS site sends you back to the mathconnections site.
No conclusions can be drawn because of the paucity of information found.