Project Activities
The research team is completing an initial study examining whether participation in Math Recovery boosts students' mathematics performance on externally validated assessments. The researchers are randomly assigning first grade students who are low performing in math to receive Math Recovery or to receive the regular math instruction provided by their school. The researchers are tracking the performance of all participants from the beginning of first grade through the end of second grade in order to examine whether any gains from Math Recovery participation in first grade are maintained through the following year.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The participating schools are from urban and suburban school districts in Minnesota and Illinois.
Sample
The percentage of ethnic minority students in the schools range from 4 to 97 percent, the percentage of students participating in the free/reduced price lunch program range from 30 to 95 percent, and the percentage of English Language Learner students in the schools range from 2 to 33 percent.
Intervention
The Math Recovery program consists of three components: (1) student identification and assessment, (2) one-to-one tutoring, and (3) teacher training. In the first component of the program, the tutor screens for low-performing students in mathematics, and also conducts individual interviews to develop a detailed profile of each child's knowledge of the central aspects of arithmetic. In the second component, each child receives four to five tutoring sessions of 30 minutes per week for 11 weeks. In the third component, teachers receive 60 hours of training to support their learning of new practices for clinical assessment and diagnostic tutoring.
Research design and methods
Students are selected for participation in the study at the start of first grade based on their performance on Math Recovery's screening and follow-up assessment interviews. Within each school, between 16 and 35 of the lowest performing students in math will be identified and asked to participate in the study.
Control condition
Students participating in the control condition receive the regular math instruction provided by their school.
Key measures
Student mathematics achievement measures include the Applied Problems, Quantitative Concepts, and Fluency subtests of the Woodcock Johnson III Achievement Test, and the Proximal Math Recovery Assessment.
Data analytic strategy
The researchers are analyzing the data using hierarchical linear growth models.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products: Products from this project include published reports on the potential impact of Math Recovery tutoring on student mathematics performance.
Journal article, monograph, or newsletter
Munter, C., Wilhelm, A.G., Cobb, P., and Cordray, D.S. (2014). Assessing Fidelity of Implementation of an Unprescribed, Diagnostic Mathematics Intervention. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 7(1): 83-113.
Smith, T.M., Cobb, P., Farran, D.C., Cordray, D.S., and Munter, C. (2013). Evaluating Math Recovery: Assessing the Causal Impact of a Diagnostic Tutoring Program on Student Achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 50(2): 397-428.
Supplemental information
Purpose: This purpose of this project is to evaluate the potential of Math Recovery to increase mathematics achievement among low-performing first graders.
To examine the potential impact of the intervention, the researchers are randomly assigning first grade students who are low-performing in math to one of the three groups that receives Math Recovery or to receive the regular math instruction provided by their school. The three experimental groups differ only in terms of when participating students will receive Math Recovery, e.g., beginning in September, December, or March. The research team is tracking the performance of all participating students from the beginning of first grade through the end of second grade in order to examine whether any gains from Math Recovery participation in first grade are maintained through the following year.
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
