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Elementary School Math
Elementary School Math
July 16, 2007

Tables and Figures


Table 1     Effectiveness ratings for 5 programs for math achievement

Intervention Rating of effectiveness Extent of evidence
Everyday Mathematics
(Developer Website)
Potentially positive effects Medium to large
Houghton Mifflin Mathematics
(Developer Website)
No discernible effects Medium to large
Progress in Mathematics © 2006
(Developer Website)
No discernible effects Small
Saxon Elementary School Math
(Developer Website)
No discernible effects Small
Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics
(Developer Website)
No discernible effects Small
Note: WWC intervention reports describe each curriculum and provide information on the students, cost, and scope of use. To view the intervention reports, please click on the program name or go to www.whatworks.ed.gov. Following each curriculum name is the developer's website address. The research evaluated addresses some but not all grade levels targeted by these curricula. Grade levels are related to student age and may affect outcomes. For a comparison of targeted grade levels and grade levels in the studies reviewed by the WWC, see Appendix A2.
Key
Positive effects Positive effects: strong evidence of a positive effect with no overriding contrary evidence Potentially positive effects Potentially positive effects: evidence of a positive effect with no overriding contrary evidence
Mixed effects Mixed effects: evidence of inconsistent effects No discernible effectsNo discernible effects: no affirmative evidence of effects
Potentially negative effectsPotentially negative effects: evidence of a negative effect with no overriding contrary evidence Negative EffectsNegative effects: strong evidence of a negative effect with no overriding contrary evidence

Figure 1. Math achievement: average improvement4

Figure 1.Math achievement: average improvement (links to footnote 4)

Table 2. Curricula reviewed with no studies meeting WWC evidence screens5

Accelerated Math (http://www.renlearn.com/)
Adventures of Jasper Woodbury Series (http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/projects/funded/jasper/Jasperhome.html)
Als speciale kleuter tel je ook me! (Young Children with Special Needs Count, Too!) (no website available)
Appalachia Model Mathematics Program (no website available)
Barrett Math Program (no website available)
Bridges in Mathematics (http://www.mathlearningcenter.org/curriculum/bridges/about.asp)
Computer Assisted Instruction (no website available)
Compass Learning (http://www.compasslearning.com)
Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC) (no website available)
Computer Managed Mastery Learning (no website available)
Connecting Math Concepts (CMC) mathematics program (http://www.sraonline.com)
Consistency Management® (http://www.coe.uh.edu/cmcd/default.cfm)
Core Knowledge Curriculum (http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/index.htm)
Countdown Video IGAP Intervention Tape (no website available)
Criterion Referenced Curriculum (CRC) (no website available)
Des Moines Plan (no website available)
Digi-Block® Learning System (http://www.digi-block.com/)
Florida Primary Education Program (no website available)
FUNdamentallyMATH® (http://www.fundamentallymath.com/)
Geo-Logo, by Investigations in Number, Data, and Space® (http://investigations.terc.edu/index.cfm)
Growing With Mathematics (http://www.wrightgroup.com/index.php)
Holt Mathematics (http://www.hrw.com/math/)
Investigations in Number, Data, and Space® (http://investigations.terc.edu/)
Jostens Integrated Learning System (no website available)
Knowing Mathematics (http://www.eduplace.com/intervention/knowingmath/)
Kumon Mathematics Program (http://www.kumon.com/)
Lightspan Achieve Now (no website available)
Logo (no website available)
Math Renaissance® (http://www.renlearn.com)
Math Trailblazers (http://www.mathtrailblazers.com/)
Mathematics in Action (textbook published by MacMillan) (no website available)
Mathematics Plus (textbook series published by Harcourt)
Mathematics Their Way® (http://www.center.edu)
Mathematics Today by Harcourt Brace (no website available)
MathFact (no website available)
MathSteps (http://www.eduplace.com/math/mathsteps/)
MathWings by the Success for All Foundation® (http://www.successforall.net/elementary/mathwings.htm)
Moving with Math (http://www.movingwithmath.com/)
Mystery Motivator (no website available)
New Century Integrated Instructional System (http://www.ncecorp.com/mathematics.htm)
New Century Mathematics (http://www.ncecorp.com/mathematics.htm)
Number Power™ (http://www.devstu.org/number_power/index.html)
Numeracy Recovery (no website available)
Opening Eyes to Mathematics by The Math Learning Center (http://www.mathlearningcenter.org/curriculum/elementary/open-eyes.asp)
Orton-Gillingham® technique (http://www.orton-gillingham.com/)
Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) (no website available)
Piacceleration Instruction (no website available)
PLATO (http://www.plato.com/)
Project 2000 (no website available)
Project MAS (no website available)
Project SEED (http://www.projectseed.org/)
Project Teach and Reach (no website available)
Rational Number Project (http://www.education.umn.edu/rationalnumberproject/)
Richmond Young Students Mathematics (no website available)
Rutgers-Kenilworth Program (no website available)
Sharon Wells Mathematics Curriculum (http://www.sharonwellsmath.com/)
Silver Burdett Ginn Mathematics (http://www.sbgmath.com/)
Singapore Mathematics (http://www.singaporemath.com/)
Skills Reinforcement Project (no website available)
Strategic Math Series (http://www.ku-crl.org/sim/strategies/math.shtml)
Successmaker (http://www.pearsondigital.com/successmaker/)
Teacher to Teacher Math Problem Solving Supplementary Curriculum (http://www.teachertoteacher.com/)
Thinking Mathematics (http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/downloads/teachers/ESEA_MATH.pdf)
TIPS: Math (Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork) (http://www.csos.jhu.edu/P2000/tips/index.htm)
TouchMath® (http://www.touchmath.com/)
Visual Mathematics by The Math Learning Center (http://www.mathlearningcenter.org/curriculum/highschool/visual-math.asp)
Voyages (http://www.metrotlc.com/)
Wasatch Interactive Learning6 (http://www.plato.com/)
Note: Following each program name is the developer's website address.
4 To enable comparisons across interventions, improvement indices are calculated from student-level findings only. A student-level improvement index could not be computed for some of the findings for Everyday Mathematics. Two additional programs reviewed by the WWC (Houghton Mifflin Math and Saxon Elementary School Math) are not represented in this figure because student-level improvement indices could not be computed for any of the findings. For further details, please see Technical Details of WWC-Conducted Computations.
5 The table includes all eligible programs with no studies meeting evidence standards. The only study evaluating the Criterion Referenced Curriculum (CRC) shown above had a single-case study and is still under review. The WWC is currently developing standards for the review of single-case studies.
6 Wasatch Interactive Learning was acquired by PLATO Learning, Inc. in April, 2001. Wasatch courseware is now marketed and sold under the PLATO brand name.

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