The effects of teaching practice review items and test-taking strategies on the ACT mathematics scores of second-year algebra students (Doctoral dissertation).
McMann, P. K. (1994). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 9423737).
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examining196Students, grades10-11
ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs Intervention Report - Transition to College
Review Details
Reviewed: October 2016
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Please see the WWC summary of evidence for ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Practice ACT mathematics exam |
ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs vs. Business as usual |
10 Weeks |
Full sample;
|
26.89 |
24.01 |
Yes |
|
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|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Practice ACT mathematics exam |
ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs vs. Business as usual |
10 Weeks |
Female;
|
27.17 |
24.26 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Practice ACT mathematics exam |
ACT/SAT Test Preparation and Coaching Programs vs. Business as usual |
10 Weeks |
Male;
|
26.76 |
23.78 |
No |
-- | ||
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 51%
Male: 49% -
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Michigan
Study Details
Setting
This study took place at one suburban high school located in southeastern Michigan. The author described the location as a predominantly blue-collar community. The racial make-up of the school is predominantly White (97%). The high school’s total enrollment is 1,410 students.
Study sample
The sample in this study consisted of tenth- and eleventh-grade students across eight different second-year algebra course sections. Four of the sections were intervention sections and were randomly assigned 99 students. The comparison group also had four class sections and were randomly assigned 97 students. There were a total of four teachers, with two instructing intervention sections and two instructing comparison sections. The author reports that there were 45 (45%) males and 54 (55%) females in the intervention group and 51 males (53%) and 46 females (47%) in the comparison group. No other demographic characteristics were provided for the sample.
Intervention Group
The intervention lasted 10 weeks. Students took the ACT pretest prior to the implementation of the intervention. Students then participated in their normal second year algebra course using the Algebra II and Trigonometry textbooks. Test-taking strategies and practice ACT items were reviewed during the course along with the regular curriculum. These materials came from suggested items from the ACT or were written by the researcher. Once the intervention was complete, students took the ACT posttest.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group also took the ACT pretest and posttest following implementation of the intervention. The comparison students received the regular curriculum of the second year algebra course, using the same Algebra II and Trigonometry textbooks as the intervention group. Comparison group students did not learn additional test-taking strategies or review practice test items.
Support for implementation
No information was provided regarding support for implementation.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
The WWC may review studies for multiple purposes, including different reports and re-reviews using updated standards. Each WWC review of this study is listed in the dropdown. Details on any review may be accessed by making a selection from the drop down list.
Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).