The Effect of District Support for Implementation of Mathematics Materials: A Longitudinal Analysis of Fourth-Grade Student Outcomes

• In Event: 33.079 - Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 33.079-3 - The Impact of Structure and Time on Student Learning

Abstract

How do district-led elementary mathematics improvement efforts relate to changes in fourth-grade students’ achievement as measured by the state mathematics assessment? We describe a multilevel mixed methods project investigating 10 districts’ implementation of two elementary mathematics materials. We employed a multilevel piece-wise growth curve analysis using six years of school aggregated assessment data—three years prior to the adoption of the new materials and three following adoption. Results suggest a potential effect of well-supported interventions on student outcomes, where schools that received higher levels of support from their districts on average had students who grew significantly more in fourth-grade mathematics achievement between time points compared with schools that received less support even after controlling for students’ low-income status.

Authors

• Jessica Mercer Young, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Laura M. O'Dwyer, Boston College

• Deborah B. Spencer, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Kristen E. Reed, Education Development Center, Inc.