Kerstyn, C. (2001). Tampa, FL: Hillsborough County Public Schools.
Reviewed: August 2017
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.
Please see the WWC summary of evidence for I CAN Learn®.
Reviewed: August 2017
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.
Please see the WWC summary of evidence for I CAN Learn® Algebra.
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): Mathematics |
I CAN Learn® Algebra vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Grade 8 Algebra I & Algebra I Honors;
|
363.81 |
359.25 |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): Mathematics |
I CAN Learn® Algebra vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Grade 8 Algebra I;
|
351.98 |
345.40 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): Mathematics |
I CAN Learn® Algebra vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Grade 8 Algebra I Honors;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
| Black | 20% | |
| Other or unknown | 27% | |
| White | 53% |
| Hispanic | 19% | |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 81% |
The study was conducted in 16 eighth-grade classrooms across 11 middle schools in Hillsborough County Public School District in Florida. The study occurred in the 2000–01 school year.
The district implemented I CAN Learn® Algebra and I CAN Learn® Pre-Algebra in select classrooms within 12 middle schools during the 2000–01 school year. For the evaluation, within each study school, district staff selected comparison classrooms that used traditional instruction and matched them on several factors including: students’ prior achievement, time of day, instructional time, class size, and proportion of minority students. This review is based on the I CAN Learn® Algebra classrooms in 11 of those schools, which included nine I CAN Learn® Algebra teachers (five for Algebra I and four for Algebra I Honors) and 10 comparison teachers (six for Algebra I and four for Algebra I Honors). There were 686 students in the study: 350 Algebra I students and 336 Algebra I Honors students. All of the Algebra I and Algebra I Honors students were general education students. Across all algebra students in the study, approximately 25% qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, 52% are female, approximately 53% were White, 20% were Black, and 19% were Hispanic.
Intervention students were taught using I CAN Learn® Algebra as the primary source of instruction for the entire academic school year. The curriculum includes 109 algebra lessons, each of which has a five-part format that includes a warm-up activity, lesson presentation, journal activity, guided practice, and a quiz to ensure mastery of the lesson content. Students complete the lessons individually and at their own pace using interactive software with a virtual teacher that presents the multimodal lessons and demonstrates how to solve a problem if students make errors. In each class, there is a classroom teacher who supported students with the lessons. The study did not specify which edition of the curriculum was used.
Comparison students used a traditional math curriculum already in place in the district. The study did not describe or name the comparison curriculum.
The study did not specify how much training intervention teachers received. The district contracted with JRL Enterprises, Inc. to use I CAN Learn® during the year prior to the study (1999–2000). To implement the curriculum, classrooms were equipped with desks, computer equipment, and electrical connectivity. JRL Enterprises, Inc. provided maintenance on the equipment and technical and instructional support to teachers.
In the case of multiple manuscripts that report on one study, the WWC selects one manuscript as the primary citation and lists other manuscripts that describe the study as additional sources.
Kerstyn, C. (2002). Evaluation of the I CAN Learn mathematics classroom: Second year of implementation (2001–2002 school year). Tampa, FL: Hillsborough County Public Schools.
Kerstyn, C. (2004). Teachers’ mathematics preparation and eighth grade student mathematics achievement: Can an integrated learning system provide support when teachers’ professional preparation is limited?. (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Florida).
Reviewed: September 2016
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.
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
| Black | 30% | |
| Other or unknown | 5% | |
| White | 42% |
| Hispanic | 30% | |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 70% |
The study was located in the Hillsborough School District in Florida.
The sample included approximately 49% males (ICL = 50%, Comparison = 47%). Almost half of students participated in the National School Lunch Program (ICL = 49%, Comparison = 44%). The largest percentage of students identified as Caucasian (ICL = 37%, Comparison = 47%), but the sample also included African-American students (ICL = 30%, Comparison = 30%), Hispanic students (ICL = 33%, Comparison = 28%) and 5% classified as other racial composition.
The students within the intervention condition received the I Can Learn curriculum. The I Can Learn Education System is an interactive, self-paced, mastery-based software system. The curriculum system is custom built for the school system it is delivered to, but the authors did not provide specific details on the present curriculum. The I Can Learn curriculum includes over 500 multimedia lessons and teachers manage the software through an online management system. A 1-to-1 computer-to-student ratio allows each student to progress at her or his on pace and receive individualized feedback.
The comparison students received business-as-usual.
The teachers received training sessions in order to use the software and hardware, but the teachers did not receive instruction on how to implement the program.
Reviewed: March 2009
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.
Please see the WWC summary of evidence for I CAN Learn Pre-Algebra and Algebra.
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): Mathematics (Algebra 1) |
I CAN Learn Pre-Algebra and Algebra vs. Business as Usual |
2000-2001 |
Grade 8;
|
351.38 |
344.46 |
No |
-- | |
|
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): Mathematics (MJ-3 Advanced) |
I CAN Learn Pre-Algebra and Algebra vs. Business as Usual |
2000-2001 |
Grade 8;
|
332.51 |
327.40 |
No |
-- | |
|
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): Mathematics (MJ-3 pre-algebra) |
I CAN Learn Pre-Algebra and Algebra vs. Business as Usual |
2000-2001 |
Grade 8;
|
296.77 |
293.89 |
No |
-- | |
|
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): Mathematics (Algebra 1 Honors) |
I CAN Learn Pre-Algebra and Algebra vs. Business as Usual |
2000-2001 |
Grade 8;
|
372.99 |
373.73 |
No |
-- |
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
| Black | 27% | |
| Other or unknown | 5% | |
| White | 42% |
| Hispanic | 31% | |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 69% |
The participating students were from middle schools in the Hillsborough County Public School system in Florida, which includes the Tampa metro area.
The study sample included 2,536 eighth-grade students in 116 classes (58 I CAN Learn® classes with 1,222 students, and 58 traditional classes with 1,314 students) in 36 Title I middle schools in the Hillsborough County Public School District in Florida. The study was limited to regular education students. All 116 classes were used in the analysis. Approximately 49% of the total sample were males (50% I CAN Learn®, 47% comparison) and 51% were females (50% I CAN Learn®, 53% comparison). Roughly 47% of the total sample qualified for the National School Lunch Program (49% I CAN Learn®, 44% comparison); 42% of the total sample were Caucasian (37% I CAN Learn®, 47% comparison); 27% were African-American (30% I CAN Learn®, 25% comparison); 31% were Hispanic (33% I CAN Learn®, 28% comparison) and 5% were of other racial classification (4% I CAN Learn®, 5% comparison). Within subgroups, a larger number of students in the I CAN Learn® classes were at the pre-algebra and algebra levels.
Students were taught using the I CAN Learn® mathematics curriculum. The author did not indicate how many of the lessons were required to be completed for the curriculum to be implemented as intended. The author indicated that the I CAN Learn® system was implemented in 45-, 50-, 80-, and 90-minute class periods. The intervention and evaluation occurred during the 2000–01 academic year.
Comparison students were taught using a traditional instructional method. The author did not provide further information on the curriculum.
The primary outcome measure was the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Grade 8 Math Test administered in February 2001. For a more detailed description of this outcome measure, see Appendix A2.
Teachers in this study participated in training sessions on the use of the software and hardware, but not on use of the software in instruction.
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.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
The WWC may review studies for multiple purposes, including different reports and re-reviews using updated standards. Each WWC review of this study is listed in the dropdown. Details on any review may be accessed by making a selection from the drop down list.
Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
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).
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