Impact of Small-Group Tutoring Interventions on the Mathematical Problem Solving and Achievement of Third-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulties [Word problem intervention vs. control]
Jitendra, Asha K.; Rodriguez, Michael; Kanive, Rebecca; Huang, Ju-Ping; Church, Chris; Corroy, Kelly A.; Zaslofsky, Anne (2013). Learning Disability Quarterly, v36 n1 p21-35. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ995666
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examining136Students, grade3
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: February 2020
- Practice Guide (findings for Targeted Math Intervention)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
MAP Mathematics |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. (Not applicable) |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
196.55 |
195.59 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Addition and Subtraction Number Combinations Automaticity |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. (Not applicable) |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
35.41 |
42.05 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mathematical WPS |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. (Not applicable) |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
10.24 |
10.16 |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Mathematical WPS |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. (Not applicable) |
6 Weeks |
Full sample;
|
10.67 |
10.33 |
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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47% English language learners -
Female: 61%
Male: 39% -
Urban
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Midwest
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Race Asian 4% Black 27% Native American 5% Other or unknown 43% White 22% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 41% Not Hispanic or Latino 59%
Study Details
Setting
The study includes 136 third grade students from 35 classrooms in 12 schools in 1 urban school district in the midwest.
Study sample
The student sample included 39% males and 61% females. 5.2% of students were American Indian, 3.7% Asian, 40.7% Hispanic, 26.7% African American, 21.5% Caucasian, 0.7% biracial, and 0.7% other. 78.7% of students were receiving free or reduced price lunch. 11.9% of students were in special education, and 46.7% of students were English language learners.
Intervention Group
Students in both conditions received 1 hour of core mathematics instruction from their classroom teachers. The core curriculum was Investigations in Number, Data, and Space (Technical Education Research Center, 2008). SBI intervention students also received 30 min of supplemental mathematics instruction using the assigned tutoring program (SBI) 5 days a week for 12 weeks from a trained tutor outside the classroom. The schema-based instruction (SBI) included 21 lessons from 5 units, with explicit instruction and guidance in solving one-step and two-step word problems using schematic diagrams and word problem checklists.
Comparison Group
Students received instruction in place value, addition and subtraction, and WPS strategies from their textbook. The SBC included lessons from the following units: Trading Stickers, Combining Coins; Collections and Travel Stories; Stories, Tables, and Graphs; and How Many Hundreds? How Many Miles?
Support for implementation
SBC tutors received 1 day of tutoring, and SBI tutors received 2 days of training. SBC tutoring included 3 topics: an explanation of the district-adopted third-grade mathematics program content and instructional strategies; discussion of how students might approach the problems presented in the program and techniques for analyzing student solutions, explanations, and difficulties; and guidance to use the program’s mathematical tools and materials. SBI tutoring included 2 topics: a description and review of the curriculum and materials; and guidance to implement essential aspects of the curriculum (e.g., explicitly modeling think-aloud problem-solving behaviors, providing feedback, monitoring student performance, facilitating student think-alouds to reflect on and monitor the problem-solving processes).
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.
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A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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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).