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Study of Strategies to Address Unfinished Learning in Math

Contract Information

Current Status:

Underway

Duration:

August 2021 – August 2028

Cost:

$10,000,000

Contract Number:

91990021D0001

Contractor(s):

MDRC
RAND
Digital Promise
Westat
Public Strategies

Contact:

The coronavirus pandemic led to substantial unfinished learning in math and an important debate about how best to address it. Traditionally, policymakers and educators have advocated a "broad foundation skill building" approach, which systematically reteaches all below-grade content where there are knowledge gaps. "Just-in-time skill building" has received attention more recently, including in the U.S. Department of Education's COVID-19 Handbook. This alternative reteaches only below-grade content deemed most essential to understanding the current grade-level topic. But there is limited evidence on which approach is most effective for which students and which contexts. This evaluation will compare the effectiveness of these two catch-up strategies when delivered via adaptive technology products in elementary schools, where the potential benefits of using technology supports are understudied. The findings will provide valuable evidence, especially for low-performing schools identified under the Every Student Succeeds Act and their most underserved students.

  • Which catch-up instructional strategy delivered through regular use of adaptive technology products is more effective at improving struggling students' learning — "just-in-time skill building" or "broad foundation skill building" — particularly in low-performing schools?
  • Which strategy is best for students who begin the year especially behind, and for low-income and students of color?
  • What below-grade math content is most strongly associated with successful learning of core fourth and fifth grade topics?

This impact evaluation will compare the effectiveness of two key catch-up learning strategies: "just-in-time" and "broad foundation." These strategies will be delivered through two adaptive math technology products (i-Ready and Freckle), each of which has separate modes that deliver one of the two strategies. The evaluation will first pilot study procedures with an initial group of approximately 15 schools during the 2023–24 school year. During this school year, up to 100 additional elementary schools will be recruited for the full study. Fourth and fifth grade students in these schools will then be assigned by lottery to use one of the products in either the "just-in-time" or "broad foundation" skill-building mode for two school years (2024–25 and 2025–26). Data collection will include: a teacher survey to examine how the technology relates to changes in classroom practice; data from the technology platform to describe student engagement and implementation; and data from the products' diagnostic math assessments, as well as district administrative data, to examine the effect of the catch-up strategies on students' achievement.

The first report for the study is expected in 2025 and will be announced on http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/.

Key findings will be available after the study report is published.