Study: 90102

Practice Guide

Review Details

Reviewed: May 2022

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness

At least one statistically significant positive finding

Meets WWC standards without reservations

For:

Practice Guide (findings for Learning Trajectory (LT) based instruction)

Using:

Rating:

Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a cluster randomized controlled trial with low cluster-level attrition and individual-level non-response.

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

Mathematics outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Research Based Early Mathematics Assessment (REMA short form)	Learning Trajectory (LT) based instruction vs. Other intervention	0 Days	Full sample; 145 students	15.38	12.62	Yes	14

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.

Female: 43%
Male: 57%

Race
Asian		7%
Black		14%
Other or unknown		18%
Pacific Islander		3%
White		58%

Ethnicity
Hispanic		12%

Study Details

Setting

The study took place in a large public school district that serves a racially and ethnically diverse student population.

Study sample

Children were on average 4.62 years old. Roughly 57% of children were male. Fifty-eight percent of children were Caucasian, 14% African American, 7% Asian, 3% Indian/Pacific Islander, and 18% other/not reported. Twelve percent of children were Hispanic.

Intervention Group

Children in the intervention condition received instruction on shape composition based on learning trajectories (LT). LTs are a sequence of lessons on a subject that progress in “levels” based on students’ understanding (in this case, children’s mental actions-on-objects for shape composition). The authors of this study developed an elaborated, scripted instructional unit on shape composition that incorporated a variety of puzzles. The children were offered puzzles and scaffolding for the level directly following the level at which they showed competency.

Comparison Group

The comparison condition was called the Skip-Level group. These students were also offered a variety of puzzles. Teachers presumably used direct instruction on the target level, without using an LT progression or scaffolding.

Support for implementation

Interventionists were trained to deliver the activities to the groups of students and administer the measures.

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Learning Trajectory for Early Shape Composition [Learning trajectories-based instruction vs. instruction at children’s target level without scaffolding]