Study: 89435

Practice Guide

Review Details

Reviewed: March 2020

No statistically significant positive
findings

Meets WWC standards without reservations

For:

Practice Guide (findings for Targeted Math Intervention)

Using:

Rating:

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

Whole Numbers Computation outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Automatic Fact Retrieval	Targeted Math Intervention vs. (Not applicable)	0 Days	Conceptual fact retrieval group vs. fact practice/retrieval group contrast; 68 students	0.29	0.22	No	--

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.

9% English language learners
Female: 40%
Male: 60%
Urban
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Tennessee, Texas

Race
Black		53%
Other or unknown		24%
White		23%

Ethnicity
Hispanic		24%
Not Hispanic or Latino		76%

Study Details

Setting

The study took place in third grade classrooms Nashville, Tennessee and Houston, Texas schools.

Study sample

Students in this sample were 9.1 years old on average. Approximately 40 percent were female, 76 percent received subsidized lunch, 23 percent were in special education, and 9 percent were learning English as a second language. The racial and ethnic backgrounds of the students in this sample were 53 percent black, 24 percent white, and 24 percent Hispanic.

Intervention Group

Students assigned to the conceptual instruction with fact retrieval practice group received one on one tutoring. Each session consisted of computer-assisted instruction (7.5 minutes), flash card practice (4 minutes), math fact family review (2 minutes), and math fact review (4 minutes). The sessions covered addition and subtraction facts. The computer-assisted instruction was given using Math Flash, an interactive program that uses number line illustrations to represent addition and subtraction facts. The flash card practice involved math fact flash cards without answers and flash cards with number lines that represented math facts using the number line. Both review activities were pencil and paper activities. For the math fact family reviews, students wrote addition and subtraction facts about a given number. For the math facts review, students recorded answers to math facts. In addition to learning math facts, students in this condition were provided explicit instruction on fact families and how facts relate to one another. The tutoring took place 3 times per week for 15 weeks, and each session lasted between 22 and 25 minutes.

Comparison Group

Students assigned to the fact retrieval practice group received tutoring via computer-assisted instruction, math fact flash card practice, and math fact review. The computer-assisted instruction was given using Math Flash, an interactive program that uses number line illustrations to represent addition and subtraction facts. The flash card practice involved flash cards without answers and scripted feedback was provided by the tutor. For the math facts review, students recorded answers to math facts using pencil and paper. The tutoring took place 3 times per week for 15 weeks, and each session lasted between 15 and 18 minutes.

Support for implementation

Across the three tutoring conditions, 22 research assistants or project coordinators served as tutors. The tutors received a two-day training. The research team provided tutors with scripts that covered the key concepts and vocabulary used in each lesson; tutors did not have to follow the scripts word-for-word. Prior to implementation, the tutors reviewed the scripts and practiced tutoring on their own and in groups with other tutors. A project coordinator observed a tutoring session for each tutor, provided feedback, and checked in every 2-3 weeks with each tutor to review any issues or questions.

Effects of Fact Retrieval Tutoring on Third-Grade Students with Math Difficulties with and without Reading Difficulties [Conceptual fact retrieval instruction with practice vs. fact retrieval practice]