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Effectiveness of Reading and Math Software Products Findings From the First Student Cohort Mark Dynarski May 2007. Study Synopsis . Design Nine reading and six math software products in 132 volunteer schools Treatment teachers could use products, control teachers could not Implementation
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Effectiveness of Reading and Math Software ProductsFindings From the First Student CohortMark DynarskiMay 2007
Study Synopsis • Design • Nine reading and six math software products in 132 volunteer schools • Treatment teachers could use products, control teachers could not • Implementation • Companies provided training and other types of support • Study purchased various upgrades and hardware components • Key Findings • Test scores at the end of the school year were not statistically different • Few relationships between effects and implementation factors
Implementation Framework • Student and teacher roles [O] • Teaching approach [O] • On-task behavior [O] • Consistency with suggested use of products [I] • Teacher training [O, R] • Amount of use [I, R] • Technical difficulties and teacher support [I] Key: O indicates observations, R records, I interviews
General Implementation Findings • Nearly all teachers received training and believed it prepared them to use products • Difficulties using hardware mostly were minor • Total use of software products higher in treatment classrooms • When products are used • teachers more likely to be “facilitators” and students more likely to work on their own • more students on task in math classrooms
Difference in Technology Use in Treatment and Control Classrooms: First Grade
Effects on Classroom Practices Percent Difference: Teacher as Facilitator 100% 75% * * * 50% * 25% 0% First Grade Fourth Grade Sixth Grade Algebra Note: * Significantly different from zero at the 0.05 level
Effects on Classroom Practices Percent Difference: Students On Task 30% 20% * 10% X 0% First Grade Fourth Grade Sixth Grade Algebra Note: * Significantly different from zero at the 0.05 level
Estimating Effects • Outcome: spring test score • 3-level model (students, classrooms, schools) • 3-level model extended to estimate effects of conditions and practices (implementation) • interactions of treatment effect and classroom and school characteristics
Test Scores: First Grade SAT-9 Reading Score 0.25 EffectSize 0.15 0.05 -0.05 OverallScore Soundsand Letters WordReading SentenceReading Note: * Significantly different from zero at the 0.05 level
Test Scores: First Grade Test of Word Reading Efficiency Score 0.30 0.20 EffectSize 0.10 0.00 -0.10 OverallScore PhonemicDecoding Efficiency Sight WordEfficiency Note: None of the effect sizes is significantly different from zero at the 0.05 level
Larger effects More experienced teachers Smaller student-teacher ratio No relationship Product usage Problems getting access Technical difficulties Computer specialist in school Professional development last year on using technology Poverty, urban area, African-American students, Hispanic, special education students Interactions: First Grade
Test Scores: Fourth Grade SAT-10 Reading Score 0.30 0.20 EffectSize 0.10 X 0.00 -0.10 Overall Score Vocabulary Word Study Skills Comprehension Note: None of the effect sizes is significantly different from zero at the 0.05 level
Larger effects Product usage No relationship Problems getting access Technical difficulties Computer specialist in school Professional development last year on using technology Poverty, urban area Interactions: Fourth Grade
Test Scores: Sixth Grade SAT-10 Math Score 0.30 0.20 EffectSize 0.10 0.00 -0.10 Overall Score Problem Solving Procedures Note: None of the effect sizes is significantly different from zero at the 0.05 level
No statistically significant relationships Interactions: Sixth Grade
Test Scores: Algebra ETS Algebra Exam Overall Score Concepts Processes Skills 0.30 EffectSize 0.10 -0.10 -0.30 Note: None of the effect sizes is significantly different from zero at the 0.05 level
Smaller effects when teachers had technical difficulties Interactions: Algebra
Study Tradeoffs • 15 reading and math products studied • Many products and types of technology not in the study • Precision to detect small effect sizes • Average effect reported • Experimental design • Teachers have not used these products in current classrooms
Second Year Study • 10 products, data from 77 schools, treatment and control teachers with new cohort of students • Will study relationship between teacher experience using products and effects • Effects reported for products