Project Activities
In Year 1, researchers conducted a qualitative study to explore malleable factors associated with teacher use of math assessments and adjustments to instruction. Researchers also finalized instrumentation, so that measures reflect the range of math assessment, data use, and related instructional practices in use in kindergarten classrooms. After a two-year pause due to COVID-19, in Years 4 and 5, researchers conducted the main observational study, using 2 independent sequential cohorts to explore associations among math assessment use, use of ability grouping, teacher data literacy, teacher math knowledge, and student learning gains. In and after Year 6, researchers completed analyses and reported results.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The project took place in Virginia.
Sample
44 individuals (26 teachers, 9 school principals, 6 math specialists, 1 assistant principal, 1 special education teacher, and 1 instructional coach) participated in interviews during the qualitative study in Year 1. The main observational study included 114 kindergarten classrooms (41 in Year 4, 73 in Year 5) and 559 students (4 per classroom, plus alternates selected for children who were frequently absent or left the classroom). Students and teachers were diverse, with children of mixed income levels and racial and ethnic backgrounds reflecting the diversity of Virginia.
This project focused on the following malleable factors: teacher use of formal and informal math assessments; teacher instructional practices (for example, use of ability grouping); teacher data literacy; and math knowledge for teaching.
Research design and methods
For the qualitative study, researchers interviewed teachers and school staff about their use of (and support for) assessments and data use. For the observational study, 2 sequential independent cohorts of teachers and children participated. Researchers surveyed teachers 3 times per year about their instructional practices, assessed student math skills in the fall and spring using a direct assessment and teacher rating scale, and observed math instruction using a classroom-level and a child-level observation measure.
Control condition
Due to the exploratory nature of the research design, there was no control condition.
Key measures
Virginia's statewide student math assessment – the Early Math Assessment System (EMAS) — and the teacher-report Academic Rating Scale — Math were used to measure student math learning and were administered in the fall and spring. Researchers used surveys adapted from the Teacher Data Use Survey and practices used by the ECLS-K:2011 study to measure teacher self-reported data use, use of data to inform instruction, and use of ability groups. Teachers completed a data literacy assessment and a measure of math content for teaching. The research team measured observed teacher instructional practices using the Individualizing Student Instruction — Math coding system adapted for live classroom observations with the Virginia context and Classroom Observation of Early Math Teaching (COEMET) coding system.
Data analytic strategy
The research team analyzed qualitative data using consensual qualitative coding. They analyzed quantitative data using multilevel models to examine the associations between teacher data use, teacher instructional practices, and student math learning gains. The research team used multilevel path analysis to test the extent to which the effect of formal and informal assessment on child outcomes might be mediated by math instructional practices.
Key outcomes
Key outcomes from the project will be shared once the findings are published.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Project contributors
Products and publications
Researchers will produce preliminary evidence of potentially promising practices. They will share this evidence in peer-reviewed publications and brief reports describing and interpreting findings to participating schools as well as CASTL website and email list.
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
