SAS® EVAAS® for K-12 study: Futures for Kids Program Raises Student Achievement

RALEIGH & CARY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new study of student data confirms that students using Futures for Kids (F4K) make more progress than their peers, based on higher End-of-Course (EOC) and End-of-Grade (EOG) test scores. Results were especially strong in key STEM areas such as mathematics. Using SAS^® Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS^®) for K-12 to analyze a cross section of schools and students across North Carolina, researchers found participating students benefit in several interrelated academic areas.

“Participation in Futures for Kids is associated with improved student performance, particularly in STEM subjects. STEM expertise paves the way to many of today’s most promising careers.”

The positive impact on EOC and EOG scores increases the longer a student participates in F4K and the greater the student’s usage. Specific applications, such as the Matchmaker career assessment, also boost scores.

“All students deserve the opportunity to make appropriate academic progress each year, and should enjoy the life choices made possible by quality academic preparation,” said John White, Senior Manager, SAS EVAAS for K-12. “Participation in Futures for Kids is associated with improved student performance, particularly in STEM subjects. STEM expertise paves the way to many of today’s most promising careers.”

SAS EVAAS for K-12 is used by thousands of districts in more than 20 states to measure students’ progress and the effectiveness of teachers, principals and schools. In North Carolina, SAS provides EVAAS value-added reporting and individual student-level projections to all public and charter schools. Its reliability has been independently confirmed by four separate US Department of Education Peer Review Committees, the US Government Accountability Office, and value-added experts from independent, nonprofit research centers.

Futures for Kids works with educators at schools, helping them provide individualized career planning, actively engaging parents and employers in the process. With F4K, every middle- and high-school student has his or her own electronic portfolio with access to career and learning styles inventories, career profiles, and a personal résumé builder. Most importantly, more than 800 experienced volunteer career coaches answer questions and offer advice via message boards. Even students in underserved communities have access to mentors in their fields of interest, regardless of geographic or socioeconomic boundaries.

“The partnership among schools, students, employers and the community makes our program a success,” said F4K Executive Director Craig Lloyd. “We support positive learning outcomes, including academic achievement, by combining career exploration with classroom activities, curriculum, career mentors and first-person exposure to the world of work.”

About Futures for Kids (F4K)

Futures for Kids is a North-Carolina based non-profit that partners with Career Cruising of Toronto, Ontario to deliver comprehensive career planning to middle and high school students across the state. Our mission is to help students determine what they want to be, inspire them to what they can be, and work with them to achieve it. Currently F4K reaches over 475,000 students in 72 school districts across North Carolina, bringing the education and business communities together to level the playing field and develop our future workforce. For more information on Futures for Kids or to get involved, please visit www.f4k.org.

About SAS

SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions, SAS helps customers at more than 60,000 sites improve performance and deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW^®. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2012 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

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