A Report on the Effectiveness of the Arrowsmith Program in the Toronto Catholic District School Board

For an overview and the conclusions of the Report, please click here

To read or download the full Report in PDF format, please click here.
  
We wish to express our appreciation to the Toronto Catholic District School Board for its assistance in obtaining the data for this Report and permission to make it available on our website.

An Overview of Some of the Research into the Arrowsmith Program

Please click here to read a summary of the research into the work at Arrowsmith School. The text of the reports summarized in this overview follows on this page.

Report on an Outcome Evaluation of the Arrowsmith Program for Treating Learning Disabled Students

To read or download the full Report in PDF format, please click here

by Dr. William J. Lancee, Ph.D. who is Head of Research in the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital and Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. Dr. Lancee has designed and carried out more than 20 peer reviewed collaborative studies and has published 37 papers on a wide variety of topics. A three year outcome study of the work of the Arrowsmith Program treating 79 children with learning disabilities was conducted at Arrowsmith School and the results have been published in a Report that was released in November, 2005. A number of standardized measures were used such as achievement tests and tests of mental ability as well as measures of learning capacity and changes in rates of learning.

The Report concluded:

"The results were informative and encouraging. ...

All deficit areas identified by the Arrowsmith Program improved as a result of the application of Arrowsmith Program cognitive exercises. ...

This study, combined with previous research of the program, strongly supports the effectiveness of the Arrowsmith Program for a wide spectrum of learning problems. These results provide hope for parents and teachers, and open up opportunities for children struggling with learning difficulties."

This study was made possible through the generous financial support of the
Donner Canadian Foundation.

Report on a Study of the Arrowsmith Program in the Toronto Catholic District School Board

At the beginning of 2001, the Toronto Catholic District School Board enrolled 30 students (grade 2 to grade 7 from 4 schools) in the Arrowsmith Program. A one-year comparison study between the students enrolled in Arrowsmith Program classes and 10 students in a regular classroom for learning disabilities was undertaken.

An abridged version of the Report prepared by Dr. Lancee dated January 22, 2003 is available by clicking here.

Eaton Learning Centre case studies

In 2004, Howard Eaton, Director of Eaton Learning Center, Vancouver, B.C. had the opportunity as part of his private assessment practice to independently pre- and post-test three students who attended the Arrowsmith Program after one, two and three years in the program.

Please click here for a summary of his findings.

St. Patrick Pilot Project Summary

In November, 1997, a limited pilot project was undertaken in co-operation with St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School in the Toronto Catholic District School Board. We have made available here a summary of the averaged quantitative improvements seen in the students. Please click here for a copy of this report.

Technical papers prepared by Barbara Young and Donald F. Burrill

We are also providing two more technical papers that were presented in peer reviewed poster sessions at conventions of the American Psychological Association in 1997 and 2000 by Barbara Young, M.A. and Donald F. Burrill, Ph. D.

Correlates of a Test of Motor Symbol Sequencing Performance

Treatment Outcome for a Motor Symbol Sequencing Dysfunction