Forbury School (Dunedin), Oamaru North Primary School and Pembroke School (Oamaru) were among 39 nationally to participate in the Accelerated Learning in Mathematics (ALiM) project in 2010.
The maths pilot ran for 10 weeks during term three and included 265 primary and intermediate pupils.
Overall, pupils at the schools were found to have achieved 80% of a year's progress after just 10 weeks of intensive teaching, some children making more than a year's improvements in the 10 weeks.
The pilot study was funded from the $36 million invested by the Government in National Standards, to develop new programmes and resources for pupils needing additional support in reading, writing and maths.
Education Minister Anne Tolley said the results were extremely encouraging.
"National Standards are helping identify the students who need extra help, and programmes such as this maths pilot will then be used to support and improve their learning.
"As well as significantly accelerating progress in maths, the majority of students said they enjoyed maths more as a result of the programme, which in turn makes it more likely they will achieve better results.
"Parents also played an important part in lifting achievement during the pilot, and this is a vital part of National Standards."
Mrs Tolley said the findings from the study would be used as the ministry rolled out the initiative to more schools.
The next phase would have a focus on accelerating the maths learning of Maori pupils, she said.
"We know that when our underachieving students fall behind, they tend to stay behind.
"Early intervention can address this issue, giving every single young New Zealander the opportunity to reach their potential."
The programme would be extended to 180 schools this year, and would continue to be improved, she said.
Forbury teacher Matt Broad said the approach advocated by ALiM had much potential.
"It was a great pleasure and privilege to work with children who were so eager to take part and ready to learn.
"Those who were involved in the project were enthusiastic, engaged and made clear progress in their maths knowledge.
"In other words, it was great to see how much progress can be made under the right circumstances."
New Zealand Educational Institute president Ian Leckie said Mrs Tolley was clutching at straws in claiming National Standards were responsible for the success of the pilot programme.
"Nowhere in the 26-page report on the pilot does it make any reference to National Standards playing a part in the success of the pilot or suggest that the children involved were identified through the use of National Standards."
He said the report proved it was teachers who identified pupils who were struggling, and it was their effective teaching as well as targeted and additional resourcing that had made the difference.
