Palm Spring Middle School, Dade County, Florida – has been using the Heart Smarts“ training program for 4 years with groups of middle school students, elementary students and parents. Initially, the research study consisted of 35 gifted students, 20 at risk, and 20 ESL students (English as Second Language) participating in a 16 hour training. Pre and post evaluations were conducted by AIM author, Dr. Melinda Leaseberg of Houston, Texas, using the 19 scale, 189 question, Achievement Inventory Measurement (AIM). Highly significant changes (p<.0000) occurred in the following 5 categories: decrease in Risky Behaviors, highly increased Teacher Comfort, decreased aggressive behavior on Anger Management, improved perception of Family Support and Satisfaction, and a 100% increase in perceived Locus of Control.

These gains led to a cross-age HeartMath mentoring program with 17 middle school students tutoring 55 second and third graders at nearby DuPois Elementary School. A 6 month follow up assessment was given to the 17 middle school mentors in May, 1997 to determine more long term improvements and again the results were very encouraging with gains in all 19 scales of the AIM assessment.

The third phase began in the Fall of 1997 with 2 full year elective courses (called Heart Smarts) being offered to 62 middle grade students. In the Spring of 1998 these 62 students began cross age mentoring to approximately 150 elementary students from 3 nearby "feeder" schools. Parents are required to participate in the training process as well. Last year, a controlled research study was carried out by Miami Heart Research Insatiate to determine adolescent resiliency in the face of stress. Results were published in Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science. The Heart Smarts program now extends to 4 full time elective classes.
A large percentage of the students’ parents are currently being trained over a series of 6 week classes in order to have a common language and set of tools. The FAM III General Scale is being used to evaluate any behavior changes among the parent groups.

Driftwood Middle School/Driftwood Academy of Health & Wellness Magnet School - 25 teachers and staff members completed the Inner Quality Management training. Pre and post assessments and surveys were administered. Results 6 weeks after the training were:

• 19% decrease in depression
• 29% decrease in sleeplessness
• 31% decrease in anxiety
• 21% decrease in fatigue
• 16% decrease in feelings of distress
• 13% reduction in anger
• 22% reduction in rapid heartbeats

Driftwood Middle School, Hollywood, FL – Sine 1999, students in this middle school have been receiving training in the use of the HeartMath tools for stress management and emotional management. They apply the tools to test-taking anxiety, peer pressure, and other areas of emotional stress. The classroom training is conducted by two teachers who completed the certification program at the Institute of HeartMath for classroom curriculum facilitation.

DeKalb County School System, Georgia - utilized the services of HeartMath to provide training and facilitation to key administrative leaders, school staff, and members of the Human Relations Program. A statistical analysis was commissioned by Associate Superintendent, Dr. Eugene Walker to quantify the value of the trainings. Specifically, participants rated the training as follows:

• Value related to work and life 98.8% to 100%
  
• Value of application of job challenges 85% to 95.4%
  
• Value of recommending the training to other educators 85.5% to 92.1%
  
• Value as a means to conflict resolution 84.2% to 94.5%

Dr. Walker’s conclusion: "This work had very significant value to a broad spectrum of the district’s personnel. I have no hesitation in commending their (IHM) integrity or the effectiveness of their work."

Minneapolis Public Schools began integrating HeartMath into their test-taking strategies to better help high school students cope with graduation exit exams. The goal was to help students lessen test-anxiety and improve brain function and performance. The results from the Spring, 2000 pilot program were significant among the 20 student participants. Math scores went up 38% while reading scores went up 17% compared to results with another version of the same test two months earlier. Two educators from Minneapolis schools became certified trainers in the Summer of 2000 to expand the program in the next school year. The program has the full support of the school superintendent and school board.

Summary. High school seniors who received a 3-week training in HeartMath learning enhancement skills demonstrated substantial improvements in test scores and passing rates on state-required Math and Reading tests. Students also experienced significant reductions in hostility, depression and other key indicators of psychological distress after learning HeartMath tools.

Background. In Minnesota, high school students must pass the state-required Minnesota Basic Standards Tests (MBST) in Reading and Math in order to graduate. Each year, a percentage of students do not receive their high school diploma because they fail to pass these exams. In some cases, the Basic Standards Tests represent a seemingly insurmountable challenge, with students having to re-take the tests up to seven or eight times in order to obtain a passing grade. Thus, these tests represent a significant source of stress and anxiety for many high school seniors.

Some teachers and school counselors in the Minneapolis Public School District had noted that test-taking anxiety appeared to be a major factor in keeping students from passing the Basic Standards Tests. Many students were so worried about passing, particularly in cases where they had already failed the tests, that they were unable to perform effectively, even if extremely well-prepared academically. Thus, in this study, the HeartMath self-management techniques were implemented as part of a Spring Training Camp designed to reduce test-taking anxiety and prepare students mentally and emotionally, as well as academically, for the state tests.

Design. Twenty high school seniors who needed to retake the MBST in Reading or Math enrolled in the Spring Training Camp. The program comprised 25 hours of instruction over 3 weeks´ time, including four 4-hour sessions conducted over Spring Break and five 2-hour after-school sessions both preceding and following Spring Break. The academic portion of the program utilized the same standardized curriculum that is used throughout the school district for state test preparation. In addition, about one-third of the time was spent teaching participants HeartMath tools as strategies to help them reduce their test-taking anxiety and improve performance. The students journaled daily, set goals for themselves and regularly practiced the Freeze-Frame and Heart Lock-In techniques. Participants also worked with the Freeze-Framer Emotional Management Enhancer (a computer-based performance enhancement system) to reinforce their use of the tools and to learn to self-generate states of increased physiological coherence, associated with improved emotional balance, mental clarity and cognitive performance. Students´ psychological well-being was assessed pre and post-intervention using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), which measures key indicators of psychological distress.

Results. As compared to a control group that also completed the psychological assessment at the same time points, the HeartMath-trained students demonstrated significant improvements following the program. These included reductions in hostility, depression, interpersonal sensitivity (feelings of personal inadequacy, inferiority and self-doubt), paranoid ideation (fearfulness, suspiciousness and mistrust), somatization (physical symptoms due to stress) and global indices of distress.

Academic test results indicated that the emotional preparedness skills students learned in the Spring Training Camp resulted in test-taking performance improvements above and beyond those achieved through standard academic preparation alone. Students in the program demonstrated a mean gain in their Math test scores of 35%. The mean gain in Reading was 14%. Several students were able to increase their test scores by more than 75% after the 3-week program. Test Score

“The students made gains that were significant, because they represented one to two years´ growth in reading or math with only one month of preparation and instruction. This clearly shows that in teaching students how to use the HeartMath tools, they were able to reduce their test-taking anxiety and more accurately show us what they know.”
Stephanie J. Thurik, M.Ed, secondary reading curriculum specialist, Minneapolis Public Schools

 
Of the 20 students who participated, 13 (65%) passed one or both tests in April, 2000. Of those students taking the Math test, 64% passed, while 55% passed in Reading. Both of these passing rates were substantially above the district average for seniors re-taking the test in April; of those students district-wide who re-took the Math test, only 42% passed, and only 31% passed the Reading test. It should be emphasized that the HeartMath tools were the only difference in preparatory training received by the study group versus other students in the school district, as the same academic preparatory curriculum was utilized for all students retaking the tests.
 
Implications. This study´s results were particularly impressive to school administrators, given the magnitude of the changes attained after only a brief intervention. Study investigators noted that the 14% average gain in Reading scores achieved by students in the program after only 3 weeks of instruction was nearly double the improvement that the average student could expect to achieve over one year´s time with standard preparation. The 35% increase in students´ Math scores was even more notable, as there had been no substantial improvement in average performance on the Math test district-wide for the previous 3 years. Thus, the HeartMath group was the first student group to increase their scores considerably, and accomplished this with minimal instruction within a strikingly short time frame.

 The Los Angeles County Office of Education, Migrant Education Division has trained over 500 parents and teens using HeartMath tools. Now in its third year and integrated as part of a Family Wellness Program, the tools have been widely recognized as a vital component helping migrant families better integrate into American culture and cope with a multitude of challenges like violence, poverty, fear and isolation. A staff counselor has been trained along with 8 parent mentors. Programs are available in both English and Spanish languages.
The New Horizons Elementary School in Fremont, California has integrated the HeartMath curriculum into every classroom. Recognizing the role of the students’ mental and emotional health in academic and developmental success, the administration has recommended that daily HeartMath lessons be woven into the schedule of academic classes. The overall response has been very positive with decreases in playground conflicts and a general increase in the warmth and support of the school culture. Kay Liu, the head administrator commented, "The children now have tools to deal with conflicts and a way to communicate without antagonizing their classmates."

Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy – a new urban elementary school, has used HeartMath curriculum since its inception in the Fall of 1999. Along with the Freeze-Framer“ computer technology, the charter school has utilized other HeartMath tools in order to help students learn self-management skills and be better prepared to learn. In the Fall of 2000, a controlled pilot study will be launched to study the effects of the program on the academic performance and behavior of special education students. Utilizing the WRAT, WISC and Conner Behavioral as measurements, 77 students will be part of the study including 25 in a trained group. Results are expected to be analyzed at the end of the school year.

St. John School in Milpitas, California has been using HeartMath tools for over 4 years now among the junior high classes. Administrator, Linda Jo White, and teacher, Chris Brazil, have championed these tools by integrating them into core classroom academics. This "cross curriculum" training has helped students gain wider perspectives and greater understanding of the subjects while helping them deal with the challenges of the early adolescent age.

A Bureau of Indian Affairs school in Southern Arizona has been integrating HeartMath curriculum in its classes since 1998. Special education students have benefited by learning skills to help them better integrate into regular classroom environments. In addition, parent training has been an active component of this program intervention to help provide academic and emotional support of children.

Dr. Edie Fritz, an educational psychologist at Phoenix Elementary School, has been working with learning disabled students using some of the HeartMath tools. During a 3 week summer session at Creighton Elementary School District 1996 Summer Academy, a small group of struggling 5th and 6th graders was placed in her class - "How to Be Cool: Learn to Manage Your Anger and Improve Reading." Using the WRAT test, a Norm Referenced Wide Range Achievement Test, the improvement rates were staggering, especially considering that little or no reading improvement skills were taught. Every student’s scores improved, ranging from a two month jump in reading aptitude to three years growth. Dr. Fritz’ conclusion: "When techniques are presented that children are able to internalize and use to reduce stress, reduce the emotional pain of failure, they are able to access what they have already learned."

Inner Quality Management, IQM, Freeze-Frame and Freeze-Framer are registered trademarks of the Institute of HeartMath. Innovative Edge, Inc., is a certified and licensed HeartMath facilitator.

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