Child Assent Form and Parent Waiver of Consent Form

Exhibit H

Parent Waiver of Consent Form

ORP USE ONLY:

The Pennsylvania State University

Office for Research Protections

Approval Date:

Expiration Date:

Social Science Institutional Review Board

October, 2006

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences Regional Educational Lab program, your child’s school district is offering a web-based “Odyssey Math” software that uses multimedia technologies to present a motivating and individualized math practice as a way of improving students’ math skills. The software is created by CompassLearning. Specifically, the Odyssey Math program is a comprehensive standards-based, browser-based solution for grades K-8," incorporating "activities aligned with state and national standards," which "meets the guidelines of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)."* The software, according to the vendor:

• Offers young learners the opportunity to explore the world of math and develop skills through engaging activities;

• Integrates tools such as calculators, notebooks, glossary, rulers, clocks, protractors, base ten blocks, thermometers, and more;

• Incorporates exploratory, hands-on activities; real world simulations; and open-ended questions;

• Provides a spiraled curriculum that allows learners to build on their prior knowledge, from basic number sense to more complex Algebra and Geometry concepts;

• Connects math to the real world and other subjects, providing students with the answer to "Why do I need to know this?" or "When will I ever use this?";

• Supports self-study as well as teacher directed learning; and

• Incorporates the NCTM Key Content Standards (Measurement, Data Analysis and Probability, Numbers and Operations, Algebra and Geometry) as well as the Key Process Standards (Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Communication, Connections, and Representation).

*Vendor website: http://www.compasslearning.com/curriculum/math.asp - September 12, 2005.

The project (funded by the US Department of Education) is aimed at providing more students the opportunity to improve their math skills by receiving individualized practice via state-of-the-art computer technology. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the CompassLearning’s Odyssey Math software designed to enhance mathematics instruction through the use of interactive problem solving, collaborative learning, scaffolding, and assessment technologies. The program will be conducted in the ________School District during the regular school day for 60 minutes a week for seven months. This instruction will be under the direct supervision of a trained mathematics teacher from the school district. Each child who participates in the study will use their first name and a username on-line. Each child will have a special password. Baseline and completion assessments (at the conclusion of the program) will require approximately 1 hour each to complete. The research team will also monitor the log of each interaction with the Odyssey Math software. These records will be used to describe the pattern of interactions with the Odyssey Math software. They also will be screened regularly to insure that students do not reveal their true identities; administration and parents will be notified immediately in the unlikely event that inappropriate interaction occurs.

There are no significant risks to your child in this study and participation may improve your child’s understanding and math skills. Your child’s participation in this research is confidential and responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district or individual. We will not provide information that identifies individual child or individual district to anyone outside the study team, except required by law. In addition, data will be recorded with identification numbers and without personally identifying information; the key linking the identification numbers to names will be stored in a secure location and only available to a limited number of people with PSU approval. If you have any questions about this project, please contact Dr. Kay Wijekumar, 724-773-3814, [email protected]; Dr. Hitchcock, 703-219-3799, [email protected], or Dr. Peck, 814-865-2525, [email protected]. If you have questions about the rights of research participants, please contact the Office for Research Protections (814-865-1775).

Your child’s participation in this study is voluntary, and your child may withdraw from this study at any time by talking with his or her teacher or Dr. Wijekumar. Your child's withdrawal from this study or refusal to participate will in no way affect access to education at the _____ School District. Your child may withdraw from the study at any time either by talking with his or her teacher, by contacting Dr. Wijekumar, or by completing and returning the attached form. You may also ask that information provided by your child’s assessments be removed from the collected information at any time during the project.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

K. Wijekumar, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Information Sciences and Technology

John Hitchcock, Ph.D.

Sr. Associate, ICF-Caliber

The Pennsylvania State University

Title of Project: The Effects of CompassLearning's Odyssey Math Software on the Mathematics Achievement of Fourth Grade Students

Principal Investigators: Penn State - University Park Campus: Kyle Peck, Ph.D., Professor & Director of the Regional Educational Lab Mid-Atlantic, 250 Cedar Building, 814-865-2525, [email protected]; Penn State - Beaver Campus: K. Wijekumar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Information Sciences and Technology, 212 Administration Building, 724-773-3814, [email protected]; and ICF-Caliber: John Hitchcock, Ph.D. Senior Associate, 10530 Rosehaven Street, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22030, 703-219,3799, [email protected].

I do not want my child to participate in the math assessments to be held in preparation for the web-based CompassLearning Odyssey Math software.*

Parent/Guardian Signature

Parent/Guardian Name (please print)

Child’s Name

Please return this form to your child’s teacher or mail this form to: K. Wijekumar, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University Beaver, 212 Administration Bldg., 100 University Drive, Beaver, PA 15061.*

*No form need be returned unless you do not want your child to participate. Thank you.