Category: Achievement

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership Primary School Education

E-reader libraries as intervention: Positive outcomes for low-income students

As reading achievement gaps persist among students of different socioeconomic backgrounds, a research team from the University of Potsdam suggests that children’s home literacy environments are prime for intervention. Targeting 11 to 12 year-old students from low-income households across Germany (n=1,000), Anger and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial that put e-readers directly into students’ hands. The electronic reading tablets were preloaded with a vast, age-appropriate digital library where students could self-select books and were configured to prevent non-study related use. To replicate the literacy support that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds may receive at home, the team also partnered with a non-profit to conduct a postcard campaign, recommending books and reading materials to treatment group households.

Findings indicated that access to free and self-selected reading materials paired with reading recommendations was associated with an increase in overall reading engagement and improved socio-emotional and academic outcomes (reading behavior, ES = +0.39; socio-emotional well-being, ES = +0.15; academic achievement, ES = +0.15). The researchers also performed a cost-benefit analysis that placed this intervention favorably compared to other educational interventions, demonstrating its scalability. These results underscore the importance of supporting families in creating home literacy environments that could not only close reading achievement gaps but positively impact children’s long-term outcomes.

 

Source (Open Access): Anger, S., Christoph, B., Galkiewicz, A., Margaryan, S., Peter, F., Sandner, M., & Siedler, T. (2024). A Library in the Palm of Your Hand? A Randomized Reading Intervention with Low-Income Children. IZA Discussion Paper No. 17322, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4970159 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4970159… Read the rest

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Achievement Maths and Science Learning Primary School Education

The effects of CGI professional development on student achievement in grades 3-5

A cluster-randomized trial examined the Year 1 effects of a three-year professional development program for math teachers, the Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) 3-5 Program, on third through fifth graders’ achievement in fractions learning.

The study involved 149 teachers in grades 3-5 from 31 schools in 9 districts in Florida who were assigned randomly to the CGI condition or to a wait-list control group. Teachers in the CGI group participated in workshops on number operations, and algebraic thinking, with a focus on fractions. These workshops took place over 5 days in the summer, 2 in the fall, and 2 in the winter. The training focused on math problem types and student strategies and included teacher-student interactions where teachers applied what they learned, with later reflection and sharing with colleagues. Teachers in the control group continued with business-as-usual instruction.

Students were pre- and posttested using the Elementary Mathematics Student Assessment. Results showed that students of teachers in the CGI program outperformed the control group at post-test (ES=+0.19), which authors cited as a medium effect size equivalent to 1/5 of a school year in grade 3, and 1/3 of a school year in grades 4 and 5. A cost analysis, using Kraft’s schema to relate effect size to program cost, yielded a low per-student cost of $137.25. While CGI 3-5 is designed to be a 3-year program, this study provides important evidence of its one-year effects.

 

Source: Schoen, R. C., LaVenia, M., Tazaz, A. M., Gersten, R., & Smolkowski, K. (2024). Effects of a mathematics teacher professional development program on grades 3–5 student achievement: A multisite cluster-randomized trial. The Elementary School Journal, 125(2), 322–346. https://doi.org/10.1086/732783… Read the rest

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership Kindergarten Primary School Education

The impact of Kentucky’s Math Achievement Fund

Early intervention in mathematics is crucial for improving student outcomes and closing achievement gaps. A study in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis examined Kentucky’s Math Achievement Fund (MAF), a statewide initiative aimed at enhancing math performance in grades K–3 through targeted interventions, teacher professional development, and peer collaboration. The study utilized a difference-in-differences (DiD) design to analyze data from 395 schools, comparing MAF schools with non-MAF schools to assess the program’s effectiveness on student math achievement, reading performance, and non-academic outcomes such as attendance and disciplinary incidents.

The findings revealed that MAF led to gradual but significant improvements in student outcomes. After four years, math scores in MAF schools increased by +0.09 standard deviations compared to non-MAF schools, with reading scores also seeing a +0.06 standard deviation improvement. The program contributed to reductions in disciplinary incidents and absenteeism, without any unintended negative consequences. Notably, the benefits were consistent across socioeconomic groups, with slightly greater gains observed among racial minority students. The structured intervention model, which emphasized early screening, small-group instruction, and teacher collaboration, played a key role in these positive outcomes.

Despite the encouraging results, the study emphasized the need for sustained efforts and complementary strategies to maximize the long-term impact of early math interventions. The estimated four-year per-pupil cost of $750 suggests that MAF provides a cost-effective approach to improving math achievement. The findings underscored the potential of statewide, structured intervention programs as scalable solutions to address early math deficiencies and support student success across diverse populations.

 

Source: Xu, Z., Özek, U., Levin, J., & Hoon Lee, D. (2024). Effects of large-scale early math interventions on student outcomes: Evidence from Kentucky’s math achievement fund. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 01623737241303142. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737241303142… Read the rest

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education

24 years of evidence on the impacts of Teach for America

As teacher shortages persist in many school districts, alternative certification routes like Teach for America (TFA) remain relevant policy considerations. A meta-analysis from AIR (American Institutes for Research), led by Martyna Citkowicz, reviewed data from 23 studies (either RCTs or QEDs) of TFA corps members over the program’s first 24 years (2000-2024).

The authors found that TFA had no impact on students’ achievement in English Language Arts, but a significant positive impact in Math (ES = +0.05) and Science (ES = +0.16). These impacts varied significantly by grade level and differed between corps members during their service and alumni after their service. This brief report noted but did not investigate regional variation in impacts, a growing area of focus for the TFA program.

 

Source (Open Access): Citkowicz, M., Chen, C., Castro M., Arellano, B. (2024) A Meta-analysis of Teach For America Teacher Impacts.  Retrieved from https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/TFA-meta-analysis_memo.pdf.… Read the rest

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Achievement K-12 Education

Effects of educational technology on the performance of disadvantaged students

A recent meta-analysis examined the effects of technology-based educational interventions on the academic performance of disadvantaged K–12 students. The review included studies conducted in less developed countries or with at least 50% of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined by socio-economic status, minority status, or areas of residence. Studies needed to use technology in class, while courses delivered online were excluded.

The review included 72 studies with 740 effect sizes conducted in 24 different countries, although most of the studies took place in the US and in India. Ed-tech interventions showed an average effect on academic performance of +0.20 across all included studies with average effect sizes of +0.23 in more developed countries and +0.18 in less developed countries. Regarding factors in the interventions and school contexts that made them effective, slightly larger effects were found in math and science outcomes compared to humanities. The authors found that Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL; ES = +0.12) and behavioral interventions (ES = +0.09) had larger effects compared to interventions that just provided the access to technology (e.g., internet, tablets).

Behavioral approaches that involved sending messages to parents to keep them informed and engaged were particularly effective, especially in communities where education is undervalued and families have limited resources. This highlights the importance of family and community support in helping disadvantaged students succeed academically.

 

Source (Open Access): Di Pietro, G., & Castaño Muñoz, J. (2025). A meta-analysis on the effect of technology on the achievement of less advantaged students. Computers & Education, 226, 105197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105197… Read the rest

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership Higher Education Secondary School Education

Thinking about how we group students and how we measure learning

It is common in politics to paint all members of a group as a homogenous block, united in their views and responses to certain issues. Unfortunately, the same trend often occurs in how we consider the impact of education policies and practices. This oversimplification is particularly evident in the over-reliance on standardized state and national assessments to inform us about student performance and learning.

A team of researchers from University of Chicago used data from Chicago Public Schools between 2014 and 2016 to examine the performance of current and former English Learners (ELs). Their analysis underscored the importance of considering English Learners not as one monolithic group, but one with nuance and variation. The researchers broke the data into four groups: long-term English Learners without individualized education programs (IEPs), long-term English Learners with IEPs, late-arriving English Learners (in the district less than six years), and former English Learners.

The authors also pushed the literature in a new direction by incorporating data beyond state standardized assessments, including graduation rates, cumulative GPA, SAT scores, and immediate two- and four-year college enrollment rates. This approach provided a more comprehensive picture of English Learners’ learning and progress.

The findings revealed that while current English Learners were behind the district average in graduation rates, former English Learners had higher graduation rates than the district average. Former English Learners also had higher cumulative GPA and SAT scores than the district average, as well as greater high school graduation and college enrollment rates than the district average. In contrast, students who received supplemental EL instruction throughout their education without being deemed English proficient generally had lower GPA, SAT scores, and graduation rates than their peers.

This study highlights the importance of critically examining how we study and think of groups of students and the data that we use to measure student progress and learning. By embracing a more nuanced approach, educators and policymakers can better understand and address the diverse needs of students.

 

Source (Open Access): de la Torre, M., Blanchard, A., Franklin, K., Angeles, C., & Allensworth, E.M. (2024). English Learners in Chicago Public Schools: A Spotlight on High School Students. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. Retrieved from https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/english-learners-in-chicago-public-schools-a-spotlight-on-high-school-students… Read the rest