School officials consider the consequence of a massive, rare study which indicates that a blended learning algebra curriculum can significantly improve student scores.
Since 2002, the U.S. Department of Education has funded 64 research grants on algebra. None of these reports except RAND Corporation’s “Analysis of Costs in an Algebra I Curriculum Effectiveness Study” have been a “scale-up evaluation,” which requires prior evidence of effectiveness and comprehensive evaluation. RAND’s research examined Carnegie Learning’s Blended Curriculum Algebra I, which is a classroom supplement program that combines an online tutor with classroom instruction and workbooks.
The RAND research analyzed data on 17,000 students in 147 schools across seven states (Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, and Texas). No other middle or high school curriculum has endured this rigorous of an analysis, and few curricula developers wish to subject their programs to such in-depth scrutiny.
“Because Carnegie Learning evolved from experiments conducted by Carnegie Mellon University scientists, it has always been a part of our culture to subject ourselves to serious, independent research,” explains CEO Dennis Ciccone. “Many of our competitors may think accepting this risk is a mistake, but whatever the outcome, we believe independent research allows us to critique and improve our program to further help teachers and students achieve their potential.”
The parameters of the RAND study included random assignment and the schools that were selected to implement the curriculum were given no special support or funding to guarantee proper implementation. “A random-controlled trial in American schools that is this broad and deep is rare,” said John Pane, Ph.D., RAND Senior Scientist and author of the working paper, which has been conditionally accepted for publication in an academic journal. “The realistic implementation, along with a very diverse sample of schools and students in the study, is important because other schools that decide to adopt the curriculum on their own might expect to see similar results.”
And the results of the research are impressive, especially considering the size, diversity, and age of participants. On average, Carnegie Learning algebra curriculum moved a student at the 50th percentile to the 58th which is “about the same as doubling math learning in a year for a high school student,” said Steve Ritter, Ph.D. and Chief Scientist of Carnegie Learning.
If the curriculum was applied school-wide and a similar increase resulted, the given school would see an improvement equivalent to the difference between an average and failing school rating.
Moreover, RAND researchers concluded that students’ improvement was not correlated with their teachers’ experience or implementation discipline – meaning that the blended learning program helped all teachers, not just a few. Carnegie Learning architects explain that the program does not replace teachers, but allows them to spend time where their students need it most – one-on-one or small group instruction with those who need more help, while others can advance with the online tutor.
The study comes at a time when administrators and teachers in 45 states begin to adopt the Common Core Standards, which recommends algebraic modeling before the sixth grade, making it all the more critical that students have access to rigorous, effective instruction.
To read the study and learn more about its consequences, see www.AlgebraEffectiveness.com.