ERIC Number: ED507757
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Dec
Pages: 73
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Effects of POWERSOURCE[C] Intervention on Student Understanding of Basic Mathematical Principles. CRESST Report 763
Phelan, Julia; Choi, Kilchan; Vendlinski, Terry; Baker, Eva L.; Herman, Joan L.
National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST)
This report describes results from field-testing of POWERSOURCE[C] formative assessment alongside professional development and instructional resources. The researchers at the National Center for Research, on Evaluation, Standards, & Student Testing (CRESST) employed a randomized, controlled design to address the following question: Does the use of POWERSOURCE[C] strategies improve 6th-grade student performance on assessments of the key mathematical ideas relative to the performance of a comparison group? Sixth-grade teachers were recruited from 7 districts and 25 middle schools. A total of 49 POWERSOURCE[C] and 36 comparison group teachers and their students (2,338 POWERSOURCE[C], 1,753 comparison group students) were included in the study analyses. All students took a pretest of prerequisite knowledge and a transfer measure of tasks drawn from international tests at the end of the study year. Students in the POWERSOURCE[C] group used sets of formative assessment tasks. POWERSOURCE[C] teachers had exposure to professional development and instructional resources. Results indicated that students with higher pretest scores tended to benefit more from the treatment as compared to students with lower pretest scores. In addition, students in the POWERSOURCE[C] group significantly outperformed control group students on distributive property items and the effect was larger as pretest scores increased. Results, limitations and future directions are discussed. Four appendices are included: (1) Item Analysis Results of POWERSOURCE[C] pretest; (2) POWERSOURCE[C] Pretest questionnaire; (3) POWERSOURCE[C] Pretest questionnaire; and (4) Descriptive Statistics of Posttest scores by District and Treatment, School, Teacher in Between-School Design and Teacher in within-School (W-S) Design. (Contains 12 figures and 29 tables.)
Descriptors: Mathematical Concepts, Middle School Students, Grade 6, Educational Strategies, Program Effectiveness, Educational Improvement, Student Evaluation, Formative Evaluation, Educational Testing, Pretests Posttests, Measures (Individuals), Test Construction, Control Groups, Item Analysis, Scores, Professional Development, Teacher Evaluation
National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). 300 Charles E Young Drive N, GSE&IS Building 3rd Floor, Mailbox 951522, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1522. Tel: 310-206-1532; Fax: 310-825-3883; Web site: http://www.cresst.org
Publication Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data; Reports - Evaluative; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Grade 6
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
What Works Clearinghouse Reviewed: Meets Evidence Standards without Reservations
WWC Study Page: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/study/77029
IES Cited: ED541917