This article reports on a comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis of 68 experiments on teaching mathematics to individuals with significant cognitive disabilities. Most of the studies in the review addressed numbers and computation or measurement. Within the computation studies identified, most focused on counting, calculation, or number matching. For the measurement studies, nearly all focused on money skills. Of the 54 single subject design studies, 19 were classified as having all quality indicators for research design (13 representing the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Measurement standard and 6 representing the Numbers and Operations standard). These studies offer strong evidence for using systematic instruction to teach mathematics skills and for using in vivo settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
The purpose of this study was to synthesize research on the effects of interventions to improve the mathematics achievement of students considered low achieving or at risk for failure. Meta-analytic techniques were used to calculate mean effect sizes for 15 studies that met inclusion criteria. Studies were coded according to 5 categories of mathematics interventions, and effect sizes were examined on a study-by-study basis within each of these categories. Results indicated that different types of interventions led to improvements in the mathematics achievement of students experiencing mathematics difficulty, including the following: (a) providing teachers and students with data on student performance; (b) using peers as tutors or instructional guides; (c) providing clear, specific feedback to parents on their children’s mathematics success; and (d) using principles of explicit instruction in teaching math concepts and procedures. |
Parent involvement programs have been assumed to be important contributors to elementary school children’s educational success. These programs include direct parent involvement outside school hours, parent volunteer programs in the classroom, parent attendance and participation in non-academic activities (e.g., PTO, fund raising, etc.). For many years researchers, educators, parent groups, and policy makers have debated whether or not parent involvement has a beneficial effect on the academic achievement of children.
Objective
The purpose of this review was to summarize the most dependable evidence on the effect of parental involvement for improving the academic performance of elementary school age children in grades K-6. The most dependable evidence was defined as studies that include at least two groups and use random assignment to form a fair comparison between groups.
Main Results
This review found that parent involvement had a positive and significant effect on children’s overall academic performance. The effect was educationally meaningful and large enough to have practical implications for parents, family involvement practitioners, and policymakers. When parents participated in academic enrichment activities with their children outside of school for an average of less than 12 weeks, children demonstrated an equivalent of 4 to 5 months improvement in reading or math performance
[From plain language summary of the study. Available for download at: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/archive/2006/11-02-SEDL.html] |
Teachers need access to research-based practices that target children who are low performing or at risk of failure. This research synthesis addresses the research question: What are effective instructional strategies that can be used in classrooms to assist low-achieving students? To answer this question, the synthesis looks at evidence supporting the use of 5 strategies to help low-achieving students meet standards: cognitively oriented instruction, heterogeneous grouping structures, tutoring, peer tutoring, and computer-assisted instruction. This section of the report (Chapter 6) synthesizes research on the "peer tutoring" classroom strategy. |
This article presents results of a meta-analysis of 58 studies of mathematics intervention for elementary students with special needs. Studies in preparatory mathematics, basic skills, and problem solving were reviewed. Duration and method of instruction proved important. Direct instruction and self-instruction were more effective than mediated instruction. Computer assisted instruction and peer tutoring showed smaller effects than other approaches. |
Presents results of a meta-analysis of studies of 58 interventions published during the period 1963-1997 concerning problem-solving skills for adolescents with learning disabilities. Results show that large effect sizes (ESs) emerged on measures of metacognition and text understanding. Interventions that included instructional components that loaded on factors related to advanced organizers, new content skills, and extended practice contributed significant variance to the magnitude of ES. The magnitude of ES was significantly higher for studies with samples meeting the IQ and reading cutoff criteria of >85 and |
Provides a synthesis of word-problem-solving intervention research with samples of students with learning problems. The effectiveness of word-problem-solving instruction in 25 outcome studies was examined across student characteristics (e.g., grade, IQ); instructional features (e.g., intervention approach, treatment length); methodological features; skill maintenance; and generalization components. The overall mean weighted effect size and percentage of nonoverlapping data for word-problem-solving instruction were positive across the group-design (GD) studies and single-S studies. In addition, positive effects for skill maintenance and generalization were found for GD and single-S studies. Computer-assisted instruction was found to be most effective for GD studies. Effects for representation techniques and strategy training were found to be significantly higher than the "other" approach for both GD and single-S studies. Long-term intervention effects were significantly higher than short- or intermediate-term interventions for GD studies, whereas both long-term and intermediate treatments were seen to be more effective than short-term treatments for single-S studies. Other significant effects found for GD studies are reported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved) |
Despite the seeming wealth of Title I evaluation information, the educational effectiveness of the program has remained debatable. Inconsistent findings can be attributed to variations in evaluation methods. Nevertheless, results from key studies have contributed to a conventional wisdom concerning Title I and student achievement. In contrast to previous reviews, this study employed meta-analytic techniques to assess the overall impact of the program on achievement and to examine the effects of mediating methodological and programmatic factors. The data were derived from 17 federal studies, ranging from 1966 to 1993, from which 657 unique effect sizes were derived. Results indicated a modest overall impact of Title I. However, the mediating factors were significant predictors. After controlling for these effects, Title I effect sizes were more favorable as the program matured. This finding may be attributable to expanded federal oversight and the growing focus on program improvement that has evolved over the years. |
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