Effects of Intervention to Improve At-Risk Fourth Graders' Understanding, Calculations, and Word Problems with Fractions [Fractions intervention with instruction in solving multiplicative word problems vs. control]
Fuchs, Lynn S.; Schumacher, Robin F.; Long, Jessica; Namkung, Jessica; Malone, Amelia S.; Wang, Amber; Hamlett, Carol L.; Jordan, Nancy C.; Siegler, Robert S.; Changas, Paul (2016). Elementary School Journal, v116 n4 p625-651. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1103953
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examining142Students, grade4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fraction Calculations |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual |
1 Week |
Multiplicative Word Problem Intervention vs. Business as usual comparison;
|
19.67 |
11.39 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) selected items |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual |
1 Week |
Multiplicative Word Problem Intervention vs. Business as usual comparison ;
|
15.20 |
13.37 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fraction Number Line |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual |
1 Week |
Multiplicative Word Problem Intervention vs. Business as usual comparison;
|
0.17 |
0.26 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Multiplicative Word Problems from the 2012 Fraction Battery |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual |
1 Week |
Multiplicative Word Problem Intervention vs. Business as usual comparison;
|
13.48 |
7.69 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Additive Word Problems from the Fraction Battery–2012 |
Targeted Math Intervention vs. Business as usual |
1 Week |
Multiplicative Word Problem Intervention vs. Business as usual comparison;
|
13.49 |
8.11 |
Yes |
|
|
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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14% English language learners -
Female: 58%
Male: 43% -
Race Black 58% Other or unknown 4% White 18% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 19% Not Hispanic or Latino 81%
Study Details
Setting
The sample includes 142 at-risk 4th grade students from 45 general education classrooms in 14 schools.
Study sample
The sample consisted of at-risk students. The authors defined risk as performance below the 35th percentile at the start of fourth grade on a broad-based calculations test (Wide Range Achievement Test–4 [WRAT]; Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006). They sampled half the at-risk students from the 15th percentile and the other half between the 15th and 34th percentiles. Two-subtests of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence (WASI; Wechsler, 1999) were administered to students who met the risk criterion and 18 students with T-scores below the 9th percentile on both subtests were excluded. The sample of 142 students includes 62.5% females, 13.5% English learners, 89.5% free/reduced lunch, 13.5% receiving special education, 58% African American, 18.5% White, 19% Hispanic, and 4.5% Other.
Intervention Group
The Multiplicative Word Problem (M-WP) condition included 36 lessons from the Fraction Face-Off! intervention program (Fuchs, Schumacher, Malone, & Fuchs, 2015). Each lesson was 35 minutes long and was delivered to students in groups of 2 by tutors hired by the research team. A focus of the lessons was the measurement interpretation of fractions, which involved comparing, ordering, placing fractions on a number line, equivalencies, and the use of manipulatives. Two multiplicative word problems were taught: "splitting" and "grouping." The M-WP condition limited the denominators to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 and the pool of equivalent fractions and reducing activities to 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, and 1/1. It focused on using words to explain thinking, identifying problems as belonging to word problem types, and representing the structure of word problems using arrays.
Comparison Group
The comparison group used the enVisionMATH program (Scott Foresman--Addision Wesley, 2011) for an average of 60 minutes per day and focused mainly on part-whole understanding, rather than the measurement interpretation of fractions. Also, it covered advanced skills like estimation and did not restrict the range of fractions used. The comparison group utilized drawing pictures, making tables, and focusing on key words. Comparison teachers reported at-risk comparison students received an average of 57.43 minutes per week of supplemental mathematics (beyond the classroom mathematics program).
Support for implementation
The authors conducted follow-up trainings for tutors biweekly for 1 hour to provide opportunities for (a) dynamic feedback as the fraction lessons progressed in difficulty and (b) solving problems related to students’ challenging behavior and skill-level differences in dyads.
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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Study findings for this report.
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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).