Success of Project SEED
Project SEED has been evaluated externally and internally throughout its almost forty years of existence. Repeated and consistent evaluation results show that Project SEED instruction has a powerful positive effect on students at all levels and particularly in the upper elementary grades 4, 5, and 6. In studies conducted at a variety of Project SEED sites in the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's, researchers outside of Project SEED and from school districts showed that students receiving a semester or more of Project SEED instruction scored significantly higher on standardized tests than did matched comparison students who did not receive SEED instruction. The graph illustrates these differences in grade equivalents (1.0 equals one year of growth) for students tested in 3rd grade before receiving SEED instruction and then in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade after one semester each year of Project SEED instruction. In a longitudinal evaluation conducted over a 12-year period with students receiving Project SEED instruction in 4th, 5th, and/or 6th grade(s), research by the Dallas school district showed that
- Project SEED students scored higher than comparison students on standardized tests after one semester of instruction.
- The effect after multiple semesters of Project SEED instruction (up to three semesters in some cases) was cumulative, increasing the growth of SEED students over comparison students.
- The effect of Project SEED instruction was persistent, as seen in SEED students scoring higher than comparison students on standardized tests for up to five years (the longest period that was tested) after the last exposure to Project SEED instruction.
- Project SEED students took more upper division mathematics courses in high school than did the comparison students.
- Project SEED students were retained (held back) in grade less than were the comparison students as they advanced through school.
Project SEED students, teachers, and parents in Detroit, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay area, the Philadelphia area, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis also indicate through surveys and comments that SEED instruction has a beneficial impact on mathematics ability, mathematical confidence, and positive attitudes toward mathematics.
Project SEED has been evaluated not only for the effects of its instruction but also for the quality of the instruction itself. Dr. Glenn Latham, a noted researcher of effective pedagogy, was amazed by "the remarkable things" that Project SEED's instructional process does - "the time on task was very high, and the ratio of positive interactions to student response opportunities was very favorable, about 1 positive interaction for every 3 response opportunities. That is simply remarkable by any measure." Project SEED provides training in its methodology for teachers in the Project SEED program districts. In 1995-96 Project SEED trained over a thousand teachers in Dallas and over 95% of those participants rated this training as effective, very effective or extremely effective.
In addition to external evaluation, 
Project SEED is a self-evaluating program. Project SEED specialists observe one another in the classroom on a regular basis. Specialists provide feedback to one another on performance and specialists who are giving staff development and family involvement workshops survey the participants in those workshops to get an evaluation of the quality and success of each workshop. This component of critiquing and self-evaluation, especially in classroom instruction, ensures that each Project SEED program and specialist adheres to the same high standards of quality regardless of location or environment.
Project SEED has been the subject of numerous positive articles in books, journals, and newspapers. Recent articles about Project SEED have appeared in Education Week, the National School Board Journal, and various newspapers. Project SEED was one of four programs asked to testify at a US House of Representatives subcommittee hearing in January of 1996 on "Programs That Work" in public education and, in 1999, Project SEED's National Director and CEO, Hamid Ebrahimi was asked to speak before the US Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about acting on the urgent needs of forgotten students and about Project SEED.
Project SEED has been recognized as an effective program for African-American and Latino students and has been included as one of the select programs in the US Department of Education's list of "What Works for Latino Students" and of Educational Programs That Work (EPTW).
The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education featured Project SEED as an invited presentation at its national conference and included Project SEED on a nationally-distributed CD-ROM of excellent educational programs. Project SEED also received validation through the Department of Education's National Diffusion Network's Program Effectiveness Panel.
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