Differentiated Effects of Children's Demographics, Previous Schooling, and Early Interventions on Their Foundational Numeracy Skills

• In Event: Roundtable Session 57
  In Roundtable Session: Use of Formative and Diagnostic Assessments: Embedded Teaching and Learning Opportunities

Abstract

Using assessment results from the newly developed Numeracy Screener for Kindergarten students in 35 schools of Canada’s largest school board, this study employs a heuristic model to examine the differentiated effects of students’ demographics, such as gender, age, birth place, family structure, language at home, absenteeism, school type and socioeconomic status, and instructional teaching strategies and early interventions on students’ academic outcomes in Kindergarten and beyond. The study has found significant differences for certain student subgroups on their assessment results and effective teaching and early interventions can be applied to reduce these differences. In addition, the Screener can be used as an effective tool to identify students who lack the foundational numeracy skills in their early years.

Authors

• Samuel M. Zheng, Toronto District School Board

• Stefanie De Jesus, Toronto District School Board 

• Roula Anastasakos, Toronto District School Board

• Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini, Toronto District School Board

• Daniel Ansari

• Stephanie Bugden, University of Pennsylvania