WWC Review of the Report "A Multisite Cluster Randomized Trial of the Effects of CompassLearning 'Odyssey[R] Math' on the Math Achievement of Selected Grade 4 Students in the Mid-Atlantic Region". PDF Download

Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 7

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Book Description
The study featured in this What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Quick Review examined whether exposure to "Odyssey[R] Math," a web-based mathematics curriculum and assessment tool, improved mathematics achievement of fourth-grade students. The study analyzed data from 2,456 fourth-grade students in 122 classrooms in 32 elementary schools in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The study randomly assigned all fourth-grade classrooms in 32 elementary schools to intervention or comparison conditions. Intervention classrooms used "Odyssey[R] Math" for 60 minutes each week during the entire school year as a partial substitute for the regular curriculum; comparison classrooms used their school's standard mathematics curriculum for the total math instructional time. The study assessed the effectiveness of "Odyssey[R] Math" by comparing the mathematics achievement of students in the intervention and comparison groups in the spring of the implementation year. The study found no discernible effects of "Odyssey[R] Math" on mathematics achievement in the spring of the implementation year. The estimated effect size of 0.02 is not statistically significant or substantively important. The research described in this report meets WWC evidence standards without reservations. Appended are: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measure for the mathematics achievement domain; and (3) Study findings for the mathematics achievement domain Mean. A glossary of terms is included. (Contains 3 endnotes.) [The following study is the focus of this "Quick Review": "A Multisite Cluster Randomized Trial of the Effects of CompassLearning Odyssey[R] Math on the Math Achievement of Selected Grade 4 Students in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4068" (ED507314).].

Author: Kay Wijekumar
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 91

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Book Description
In an effort to identify instructional methods that might improve mathematics learning at the grade 4 level when used in a variety of educational settings under typical conditions, the REL Mid-Atlantic research team looked for promising, replicable practices that were being used broadly by teachers in U.S. schools, for which research showed promising results but had not been conducted using methodologies that can establish causal relationships. CompassLearning's Odyssey[R] Math product met all of these criteria. Odyssey Math is a computer-based math curriculum developed by CompassLearning, Inc., to improve math learning for K-12 students. The software consists of a web-accessed series of learning activities, assessments, and math tools. These components constitute the basic framework of the software. CompassLearning professional development trainers presented the learning activities, math tools, and assessments as available options to intervention teachers during the summer professional development session. This study was the first randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of Odyssey Math on student achievement. The study had the statistical power needed to detect a 0.20 effect size and was well designed in that comparable groups were created at baseline and maintained through posttesting. Implementation during the school year was documented and shown to be consistent with typical implementation of the Odyssey Math software. The results from the multilevel model with pretest covariates also indicate that Odyssey Math did not yield a statistically significant impact on end-of-year student achievement. This study generated a statistically unbiased estimate of the effect of Odyssey Math on student achievement when implemented in typical school settings with typical teacher and student use. However, the findings apply only to participating schools, teachers, and students because the study used a volunteer sample. Twelve appendices include: (1) Detailed Professional Development Agenda Sessions; (2) Statistical Power Analysis; (3) Probability of Assignment to Study Conditions; (4) Sample Size from Random Assignment to Data Analysis; (5) Teacher Survey, Fall 2007; (6) Observation Protocols; (7) Odyssey Math Sample Screens; (8) Fidelity Observation Comparisons; (9) Model Variance and Intraclass Correlations; (10) Complete Multilevel Model Results for Research Question 1; (11) Comparison of Assumed Population Parameters for Statistical Power (During Planning Phase) with Corresponding Sample Statistics (During Analysis Phase); and (12) Equations for Multilevel Model Analyses. (Contains 3 figures, 22 tables, 10 exhibits, and 23 footnotes.) [This report was prepared for the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences under contract with Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic administered by Pennsylvania State University.].

Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 8

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The 2012 study, "Longitudinal Evaluation of a Scale-Up Model for Teaching Mathematics with Trajectories and Technologies," examined the effects of "Technology-enhanced, Research-based, Instruction, Assessment, and professional Development (TRIAD)," a math intervention for preschoolers that combines a curriculum, a software-based teaching tool, and in-person teacher professional development. "TRIAD" is designed for young children, particularly those at risk of low math achievement. The study also included an assessment of whether continuing the intervention through kindergarten improved math achievement at the end of kindergarten. To measure these effects, two versions of the intervention were delivered: (a) "TRIAD" no follow-through ("TRIAD-NFT"), where children only received "TRIAD" in preschool; and (b) "TRIAD" follow-through ("TRIAD-FT"), where children received "TRIAD" in both preschool and kindergarten. Forty-two schools from Buffalo, NY, and Boston, MA were included in this study. Within each city, schools were grouped by the previous year's fourth grade mathematics state assessment scores and then randomly assigned to either the "TRIAD-NFT" group (14 schools), the "TRIAD-FT" group (12 schools), or a comparison group that implemented neither intervention (16 schools). From each preschool classroom, researchers randomly selected up to 15 children to participate. Researchers assessed the math ability of these children at the start of preschool (prior to intervention), at the end of preschool (after 1 year of study participation), and at the end of kindergarten (after 2 years of study participation). Using these completed assessments, 963 students were included in the final analysis. To measure the intervention's effects, the researchers separately compared outcomes at the end of kindergarten for those in "TRIAD-NFT" and "TRIAD-FT" to those from the comparison group. The researchers further compared the end-of-kindergarten outcomes between "TRIAD-NFT" and "TRIAD-FT" to assess whether there were any differences due to the continuity of the "TRIAD" intervention into kindergarten. At the end of kindergarten, the authors found that both the "TRIAD-NFT" and "TRIAD-FT" interventions had a statistically significant positive effect on student performance on the Research-based Elementary Math Assessment (REMA) when compared to students attending comparison schools, and the WWC confirmed these findings. The authors found no difference in REMA performance when comparing students attending "TRIAD-NFT" schools to those attending "TRIAD-FT" schools. The research described in this report meets WWC group design standards with reservations This study is a randomized controlled trial with unknown levels of study attrition, and thus, this study does not pass the attrition standard. However, the study demonstrates the equivalence of the analytic samples for each comparison at baseline. Appended are: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measure for the mathematics achievement domain; and (3) Study findings for the mathematics achievement domain. A glossary of terms is also included. [The following study is the focus of this review: Sarama, J., Clements, D. H., Wolfe, C. B., & Spitler, M. E. (2012). "Longitudinal Evaluation of a Scale-Up Model for Teaching Mathematics with Trajectories and Technologies." "Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness," 5(2), 105-135 (EJ961450).].

Author: Taylor Martin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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This study examines the effects of Connected Mathematics Project 2 (CMP2) on grade 6 student mathematics achievement and engagement using a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. It responds to a need to improve mathematics learning in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC). Findings reveal that the type of instructional activity taking place in intervention schools differed from that in control schools, and the activity observed in intervention schools was the type expected when implementing CMP2. Sixty-four percent of intervention teachers reported implementing the curriculum at a level consistent with the publishers' recommendations on the number of units completed per school year (six), and 68 percent of them reported implementing the curriculum consistent with the recommended amount of class time per week. But CMP2 did not have a statistically significant effect on grade 6 mathematics achievement as measured by the TerraNova, which answered the primary research question.12 Indeed, grade 6 mathematics students in schools using CMP2 performed no better or worse on a standardized mathematics test than did their peers in schools not using it. The results for the secondary research question were similar. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in PTV, and the small effect size is unlikely meaningful. These results were insensitive to alternative model specifications. The lack of statistically significant effects is consistent with prior research on CMP2 rated in the 2010 WWC review as meeting standards "with reservations" (Schneider 2000) and the Eddy et al. (2008) RCT. The intent-to-treat analytical approach used in this study, which analyzes participants based on how they are randomly assigned, yielded unbiased estimates of program effectiveness as implemented. To estimate the effect of CMP2 under typical conditions, teachers were provided all the typical materials and PD that a normal school adopting CMP2 would have. However, while CMP2 use was tracked, the study team did not ensure a particular amount or quality of CMP2 instruction. So, the curriculum impact reflects the effect of a school being assigned to use CMP2 or to continue use of their regular curriculum, not necessarily of actually using CMP2. The results apply to the implementation of the CMP2 curriculum, after typical PD, in schools with grade 6 students. Use of a volunteer sample limits the findings to the schools, teachers, and students that participated in the study in the Mid-Atlantic region. The conclusions drawn in this study about the effects of CMP2 on student math achievement are limited to student math achievement as measured by the TerraNova, and do not generalize to any other standardized test. Appended are: (1) CMP2 Curriculum and PD; (2) Statistical Power Analysis as Conducted During the Design Phase; (3) Procedure and Probability of Assignment to Study Conditions; (4) Student Math Interest Inventory; (5) Teacher Surveys; (6) Classroom Observation Data Collection; (7) Equations to Estimate the Impact of CMP2; (8) Implementation Analysis for Intervention and Control Schools; (9) Cost of the Curriculum and Professional Development; and (10) Results from Hierarchical Linear Models to Estimate the Impact of CMP2. (Contains 46 tables. 2 figures and 50 footnotes.

Author: Gary J. Burkholder
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1544342365
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 496

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Book Description
Research Design and Methods: An Applied Guide for the Scholar-Practitioner is written for students seeking advanced degrees who want to use evidence-based research to support their practice. This practical and accessible text addresses the foundational concepts of research design and methods; provides a more detailed exploration of designs and approaches popular with graduate students in applied disciplines; covers qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs; discusses ethical considerations and quality in research; and provides guidance on writing a research proposal.

Author: Thomas L Good
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1412950112
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 1031

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Book Description
Via 100 entries or 'mini-chapters,' the SAGE 21st Century Reference Series volumes on Education will highlight the most important topics, issues, questions, and debates any student obtaining a degree in the field of education ought to have mastered for effectiveness in the 21st Century.

Author: Bonnie K. Nastasi
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1483346935
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Mixed Methods Research and Culture-Specific Interventions shows practicing social scientists and graduate students how to account for cultural factors when developing and evaluating psychological and educational interventions using mixed methods research. Providing a methodological basis for handling cultural influences when engaged in intervention and/or evaluation work, the book covers a range of topics, including mixed methods research, program evaluation, ethnography, and intervention design. Throughout the book, authors Bonnie K. Nastasi and John H. Hitchcock integrate illustrative examples to make more abstract content accessible. Mixed Methods Research and Culture-Specific Interventions is Volume 2 in the SAGE Mixed Methods Research Series.

Author: Kumon Publishing
Publisher: Kumon Reading Workbooks
ISBN: 9781934968949
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
With our unique step-by-step lessons, children gain confidence in their comprehension skills so they are eager to read more! Our Reading Workbooks use a combination of phonics and whole-language instruction to make reading feel effortless. By mastering grade-appropriate vocabulary and completing fun, colorful exercises, children discover that they love to read!

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309092426
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
This book reviews the evaluation research literature that has accumulated around 19 K-12 mathematics curricula and breaks new ground in framing an ambitious and rigorous approach to curriculum evaluation that has relevance beyond mathematics. The committee that produced this book consisted of mathematicians, mathematics educators, and methodologists who began with the following charge: Evaluate the quality of the evaluations of the thirteen National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported and six commercially generated mathematics curriculum materials; Determine whether the available data are sufficient for evaluating the efficacy of these materials, and if not; Develop recommendations about the design of a project that could result in the generation of more reliable and valid data for evaluating such materials. The committee collected, reviewed, and classified almost 700 studies, solicited expert testimony during two workshops, developed an evaluation framework, established dimensions/criteria for three methodologies (content analyses, comparative studies, and case studies), drew conclusions on the corpus of studies, and made recommendations for future research.

Author: Phyllis Haddox
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0671631985
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
A step-by-step program that shows parents, simply and clearly, how to teach their child to read in just 20 minutes a day.