Study of Strategies to Address Unfinished Learning in Math
Contract Information
Current Status:
Underway
Duration:
August 2021 – August 2028
Cost:
$15,000,000
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. Approximately 75 elementary schools in 9 districts and 7 states around the nation volunteered for the study. Each district selected to use either i-Ready or Freckle. Participating students in these schools were assigned by lottery to use their district's chose product 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; product data to describe student engagement and implementation; and assessment data from both the products' diagnostics, as well as state assessments, to examine the effect of the catch-up strategies on students' achievement.
The first report for the study is expected in 2027 and will be announced on http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/.
Key findings will be available after the study report is published.