Effectiveness of Reading and Mathematics Software Products: Findings From Two Student Cohorts. NCEE 2009-4041
Campuzano, Larissa; Dynarski, Mark; Agodini, Roberto; Rall, Kristina (2009). National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED504657
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examining29Students, grades8-9
Grant Competition
Review Details
Reviewed: September 2016
- Grant Competition (findings for Cognitive Tutor®)
- 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.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Educational Testing Service (ETS) End-of-Course Algebra Test |
Cognitive Tutor® vs. Business as usual |
1 Semester |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Educational Testing Service (ETS) End-of-Course Algebra Test |
Cognitive Tutor® vs. Business as usual |
1 Semester |
Year 2 schools only ;
|
N/A |
N/A |
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.
-
Female: 49%
Male: 51% -
Urban
Study Details
Setting
The study took place within 4 school districts and across 11 different schools. The school districts were considered urban or urban fringe areas. The average district had 230 schools with roughly 133,000 students.
Study sample
Students in the sample were students taking an algebra course. Of the students in the sample 14% were in grade 8 and 86% were in grade 9. Teachers in the classrooms averaged 13 years of teaching experience (intervention = 14.18; comparison = 11.25) with close to half of the teachers holding a master's degree (41%; 40% in intervention and 43% in comparison). The teachers were mostly female with 60% in the intervention and 57% female teachers in the comparison group. Students in these classrooms were an average age of 15. Forty-nine percent of the students were female (intervention = 51%; comparison = 46%) with 14% in grade 8 and 86% in grade 9. No other characteristics were reported.
Intervention Group
The Cognitive Tutor curriculum includes proportional reasoning, solving linear equations and inequalities, solving systems of linear equations, analyzing data, and using polynomial functions, powers, and exponents. Materials include a textbook and software. Students are presented with problems and asked to solve using graphs and solvers. Students' skill levels are evaluated based on student answers. Students use the product in a computer lab two days a week and use the textbook three days a week.
Comparison Group
Comparison students received business-as-usual.
Support for implementation
Teachers implementing the Cognitive Tutor received four days of training on using the product. Teachers could also receive support by phone. The estimated annual cost, per student, to implement the program was $69. Of that amount 49% was used for license fees and the remaining 57% was used for teacher training and support, technical support, and printed materials and supplies.
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).