Category: Educational Administration and Leadership

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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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Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education Programme Evaluation

The High-Impact Tutoring Initiative and student attendance

Chronic absenteeism remains a critical issue in schools, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a working paper released by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, researchers evaluated the High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) Initiative, a $33 million, three-year program launched by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in Washington, DC. This initiative targeted over 5,000 at-risk K-12 students, providing in-person, small-group tutoring sessions during the school day to rebuild their connection to school and improve academic outcomes. This analysis focused on attendance data to assess whether students were more likely to attend school on tutoring days compared to non-tutoring days.

The findings revealed that students were 7% less likely to be absent on days when they had tutoring, which translated to an average of 1.3 additional days of school for students scheduled for three sessions a week over a 180-day school year. Middle school students saw the largest benefit, gaining 2.1 additional days of attendance, while high school students showed minimal improvement. Students with extremely high absenteeism often remained disengaged. The modest gains observed emphasize the importance of program design, particularly scheduling tutoring during the school day and ensuring sufficient frequency to engage students effectively.

While the study underscores tutoring’s potential to reengage students and modestly improve attendance, the findings also reveal important limitations. Some may question whether an average increase of just 1.3 additional days of school per year is meaningful, particularly for students missing dozens of days annually. However, the study highlights the potential cumulative effect of such gains across larger groups of students and suggests that tutoring could contribute to broader classroom stability. Policymakers and school leaders are encouraged to pair tutoring with complementary strategies to address the deeper barriers faced by chronically absent students, ensuring such interventions can lead to more substantial long-term outcomes.

 

Source (Open Access): Lee, Monica G., Susanna Loeb, and Carly D. Robinson. (2024). Effects of High-Impact Tutoring on Student Attendance: Evidence from the OSSE HIT Initiative in the District of Columbia. (EdWorkingPaper: 24 -1107). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/wghb-4864… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education

A systematic review on how teachers support students self-regulated learning

Self-regulated learning (SRL) helps students take charge of their own learning by planning, monitoring, and adjusting their efforts, yet many teachers struggle with how to effectively teach and support SRL in their daily instruction.  In a 2020 article, researchers from Germany and the Netherlands suggested two practical strategies: the direct approach, where teachers explicitly teach SRL skills—such as showing students how to set goals, use strategies, and reflect on their progress—and the indirect approach, where teachers create a classroom environment that encourages SRL through group work, real-life problem-solving activities, and engaging challenges.

The researchers analyzed 17 observational studies of teacher-student interactions in K-12 classrooms, conducted between 1990 and 2019, to better understand how SRL is supported in practice. The findings revealed that while many teachers naturally foster SRL by creating supportive environments, they often focus more on teaching cognitive skills (like memorization or problem-solving) and less on metacognitive skills (like planning and self-reflection). Planning is frequently overlooked. Without direct guidance, even the most supportive learning environments may not lead to better SRL outcomes—and in some cases, they may even hinder progress.

To help students succeed, teachers can take simple but effective steps: clearly explain how and why SRL strategies work, provide regular opportunities for students to practice planning and reflecting, and design lessons that encourage active engagement. For example, teachers might start by modeling how to break down a complex task into smaller steps, then have students work in groups to solve a real-world problem while reflecting on their progress. By combining clear instruction with a supportive classroom environment, teachers can empower students to become more independent and confident learners. These insights, drawn from decades of classroom research, offer practical guidance for educators looking to integrate SRL into their teaching practices.

 

Source (Open Access): Dignath, C., & Veenman, M. V. J. (2021). The role of direct strategy instruction and indirect activation of self-regulated learning—Evidence from classroom observation studies. Educational Psychology Review, 33(2), 489–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09534-0… 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

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Educational Administration and Leadership Language Development Primary School Education Programme Evaluation

A meta-analysis of effective Spanish reading interventions

A meta-analysis conducted by our Best Evidence in Brief (BEiB) colleagues José Luis Arco-Tirado, Amanda Neitzel, and the late Bob Slavin, examined the effects of Spanish reading interventions for students in grades K–6. The review, published in Review of Educational Research, included studies focused on class- or school-based interventions aimed at improving reading skills among students whose first language was Spanish. The analysis included only high-quality studies that met rigorous criteria, such as the use of experimental or quasi-experimental designs and quantitative standardized measures of reading achievement.

The final best-evidence synthesis and meta-analysis was based on 11 studies with 51 effect sizes. Overall, Spanish reading interventions showed a significant average effect size of +0.49 on reading performance. While results varied considerably, the researchers explored grade level and outcome type as potential moderators of the effect. However, due to the small number of studies, no significant differences were found between grades K–2 and 3–6 or across the five categories of outcome type.

The authors concluded, on one hand, that some effective interventions for improving Spanish reading comprehension are available to help readers in K–6 education. On the other hand, more rigorous evaluation studies have to be implemented to expand the pool of proven reading practices available for teachers and educators in Spanish-speaking countries.

 

Source (Open Access): Arco-Tirado, J. L., Fernández-Martín, F. D., Hervás-Torres, M., Jiménez-Fernández, G., Calet, N., Defior, S., Neitzel, A. J., & Slavin, R. E. (2024). A Best-Evidence Synthesis and Meta-analysis on Effective Reading Programs in Spanish. Review of Educational Research, 00346543241297668. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241297668… Read the rest