Evidence-Backed Results for Today’s Classrooms
Educators are facing pressure to boost academic outcomes in less time and with fewer resources. At Thinking Habitats, we’ve partnered with teachers, schools, and researchers to prove that skill-building doesn’t have to come at the cost of engagement or equity.
Our results — from rigorous trials to full-district implementations — show what’s possible with our enrichment curriculum unit when learning is built on relevance, motivation, and research.
Controlled Study: Proven Results in Core Subjects
A randomized control trial at the single-subject level examined THINKING PRO’s impact on ninth and tenth grade English Language Arts (ELA) students (N = 229). The study found that THINKING PRO delivered stronger academic outcomes than other strategy-based programs:
- Moderate to large effect sizes in reading, writing, science, and math (Table 1)
- Performance gains that surpassed other programs like RAAL and Xtreme Reading
- Achieved in less time and with larger class sizes than comparison programs
>> This study highlights THINKING PRO’s efficiency and broad academic impact.
Classroom-Based Study Demonstrates Broad Skill Growth
A study of 29 high school classrooms, involving 12 teachers and over 700 students, demonstrated THINKING PRO’s impact across multiple academic areas:
- 86% of students improved in critical thinking, reading comprehension, and media literacy
- 70% showed score gains on pre- and post-assessments
- Results were observed across a range of school types and instructional settings
>> This research helped validate THINKING PRO’s potential to support growth at scale — regardless of classroom setting.
School-Wide Implementation: Consistent, Scalable Outcomes
Across broader school-wide rollouts, THINKING PRO continues to produce consistent, measurable results:
- 88% proficiency in reading strategies
- 84% proficiency in thinking strategies
- 70% of students improved from pre- to post-assessment
- Higher graduation test scores in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies
- Increased student engagement and participation across classrooms
>> These outcomes, drawn from multiple studies and school partnerships, highlight THINKING PRO’s ability to drive consistent results across subjects, grade levels, and school contexts.
Partner With Us: No-Cost Implementation Available
Thanks to an EIR grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and in collaboration with the American Institutes of Research, schools can now implement THINKING PRO’s Short Curriculum Unit (SCU) or Intensive Curriculum Unit (ICU) — with full PD support at no cost.
Research & Funding
The development of THINKING PRO was supported by state and federal grant funding, including the Michigan Economic Development Center and the US Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, and State.* This funding enabled us to conduct comprehensive research and development, ensuring that THINKING PRO integrates best practices in teaching and effectively enhances student learning outcomes.
Our ongoing evaluation, supported by these grants, continues to measure the program’s impact, strengthen teacher practice, and ensure measurable growth for students in critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.
* The content of THINKING PRO is solely the responsibility of Thinking Habitats and does not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the supporting grant agencies.
US Department of State
US Department of Defense
US Department of Education
US Depatment of Agriculture
Michigan Economic Development Center
