Examining the impact of a tutoring program implemented with community support on math proficiency and growth
Codding, R. S., Nelson, P. M., Parker, D. C., Edmunds, R., and Klaft, J. (2022). Journal of School Psychology, 90, 82–93. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2021.11.002.
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examining675Students, grades4-8
Grant Competition
Review Details
Reviewed: December 2024
- Grant Competition (findings for Math Corps)
- 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
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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STAR Math Assessment |
Math Corps vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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728.09 |
716.87 |
Yes |
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| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
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STAR Math Assessment - Percent On-Track for Proficiency |
Math Corps vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
27.00 |
15.00 |
Yes |
|
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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: 53%
Male: 47% -
Rural, Suburban, Urban
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Minnesota
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Race Asian 8% Black 24% Native American 1% Other or unknown 14% White 53% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 11% Not Hispanic or Latino 89% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study was conducted in 20 schools in Minnesota, encompassing urban, rural, and suburban settings. The sample included 13 elementary schools (grades K-5), six middle schools (grades 6-8), and one intermediate school (grades 3-5). All participating schools had a substantial population of low-achieving students, with each school having at least 50 such students to support intervention and comparison groups for a full-time tutor.
Study sample
The study's analytic sample comprised 675 students (416 intervention, 259 comparison) from grades 4-8, with participation ranging from 15 to 85 students per school. Eligibility criteria included scoring below proficiency on both the previous year's Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) and the fall administration of STAR Math. Students receiving special education math services were excluded. The sample was diverse, with slightly over half of the students identifying as White (53%), about one-fourth as Black (24%), 8% as Asian-American, and less than 1% as Native North American. Eleven percent of the students identified as Latinx. The gender distribution slightly favored girls (53%).
Intervention Group
The Math Corps tutoring program is aimed at improving students' understanding of whole and rational numbers. The intervention includes conceptual instruction using the Concrete-Representational-Abstract approach, procedural accuracy practice, and word problem skill development. It was implemented by 26 AmeriCorps members who provided tutoring during school hours in pairs, with 20-31 lessons delivered over 17-22 weeks, depending on grade level. Tutors and students met for either three 30-minute or two 45-minute per week sessions, averaging 69 minutes weekly over 22 weeks. Students completed 10 to 13 lessons on average.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison condition received business-as-usual school-based services. About 43 percent received more than 30 minutes per week of supplemental support for at least 1 month during the year. Most frequently, the support included small-group pre-teaching/re-teaching activities with a teacher or teaching assistant.
Support for implementation
The Math Corps organization hired and trained all tutors. Tutors attended a 3-day training session in the summer and 2 additional days of training in the fall. Two types of coaches (school-based coaches and Math Corps program coaches) observed and coached tutors monthly. Both types of coaches were trained in the Math Corps program model. During observations, coaches used a standardized observation form in which implementation fidelity was assessed.
Department-funded evaluation
Review Details
Reviewed: November 2024
- Department-funded evaluation (findings for Math Corps)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Does not meet WWC standards because the approach used to address missing data is not acceptable.
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
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
Study sample characteristics were not reported.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 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
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non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).