Powell, Sarah R.; Berry, Katherine A.; Barnes, Marcia A. (2019). Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED598469
Reviewed: July 2022
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 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Researcher-developed double-digit word problems composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Aggregated sample: (PMEQ + PM alone) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
24.74 |
11.42 |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Researcher-developed nonstandard equation solving composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Aggregated sample: (PMEQ + PM alone) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
9.53 |
7.42 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Researcher-developed equal sign tasks |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Aggregated sample: (PMEQ + PM alone) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
8.74 |
7.85 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Researcher-developed standard equation solving composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Aggregated sample: (PMEQ + PM alone) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
5.31 |
4.91 |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Researcher-developed double-digit word problems composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
26.12 |
11.42 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Researcher-developed double-digit word problems composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
23.51 |
11.42 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Researcher-developed equal sign tasks |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Pirate Math |
0 Days |
Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) vs. Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone);
|
10.43 |
7.24 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Researcher-developed equal sign tasks |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
10.43 |
7.85 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Researcher-developed nonstandard equation solving composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
10.48 |
7.42 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Researcher-developed nonstandard equation solving composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Pirate Math |
0 Days |
Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) vs. Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone);
|
10.48 |
8.69 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Researcher-developed standard equation solving composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
5.67 |
4.91 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Researcher-developed double-digit word problems composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Pirate Math |
0 Days |
Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) vs. Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone);
|
26.12 |
23.51 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Researcher-developed nonstandard equation solving composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
8.69 |
7.42 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Researcher-developed standard equation solving composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
4.90 |
4.91 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Researcher-developed equal sign tasks |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone) vs. Business-as-usual;
|
7.24 |
7.85 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Researcher-developed standard equation solving composite |
Pirate Math with and without Equation Quest (PMEQ and PM) vs. Pirate Math |
0 Days |
Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) vs. Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone);
|
4.90 |
5.67 |
No |
-- | ||
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
| Asian | 2% | |
| Black | 9% | |
| Other or unknown | 81% | |
| White | 8% |
| Hispanic | 75% | |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 25% |
| Other or unknown | 100% |
The study took place in 13 elementary schools in a large urban school district in the southwestern United States.
The researchers randomly assigned 145 students to one of three conditions: Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ; 45 students), Pirate Math without Equation Quest (PM-alone; 46 students), or usual instruction without Pirate Math (54 students). A total of 138 students in grade 3 were included in the study. The 138 students were taught by 37 teachers in 13 elementary schools. There were 15 tutors who provided the intervention to students individually. Approximately 57% of the students were female, and 62% were English learners. Three-quarters were Hispanic or Latino; 9% were non-Hispanic Black, 8% were non-Hispanic White, 2% were non-Hispanic Asian, and 6% did not report race.
Pirate Math is a program designed to improve student’s success answering math-focused word-problems in elementary school. Students in the program participate in five types of pirate-themed activities: (1) Math Fact Flashcards, (2) Equation Quest (for PMEQ students) or Pirate Crunch (for PM-alone students); (3) Buccaneer Problems; (4) Shipshape Sorting; and (5) Jolly Roger Review. The study considered two slightly different versions of the intervention. Students in PMEQ participated in the Equation Quest activity, which is an activity focused on pre-algebraic reasoning instruction on solving equations and the meaning of the equal sign. Students in the PM-alone group did not participate in the Equation Quest activity and instead completed the Pirate Crunch activity that included concepts of telling time, geometry, and fractions. There were 15 tutors who worked with students in the PMEQ and PM-alone conditions individually, in a quiet place outside of the classroom, three times per week for 30 minutes per session. The study aimed to complete 48 to 51 intervention sessions, but in practice, on average, students completed about 47 sessions. The authors considered students who completed at least 45 sessions as completing the intervention.
Students in the comparison group received business-as-usual grade 3 mathematics instruction.
The research team recruited 15 tutors to provide the intervention and collect study data. Tutors received training on administering the study testing as well as four trainings throughout the school year (90 minutes each) on providing the intervention.
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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