Explore · I4I

Interleaved Mathematics Practice

2014

Interleaved Mathematics Practice is an instructional approach for seventh-grade mathematics students that reorganizes practice problems so that different types of problems appear in mixed order rather than grouped by problem type. Instead of completing a block of 12 problems all requiring the same strategy (blocked practice), students receive assignments where problems of different kinds are interleaved and no two consecutive problems require the same strategy. This approach requires students to choose the appropriate mathematical strategy for each problem based on the problem itself, rather than knowing the strategy in advance. The intervention was implemented over a nine-week period with 10 assignments of 12 problems each, delivered by regular classroom teachers. Teachers received paper copies of assignments and slide presentations with solved examples and solutions to present before and after students completed each assignment.

7th Grade

Fraction Face-Off!

2014

Fraction Face-Off! is a math instruction program designed to improve knowledge of fractions and decimals in fourth-graders at risk for low mathematics achievement. The program is delivered in small groups of three students by trained tutors and consists of three 30-minute lessons per week for 12 weeks. The curriculum emphasizes a measurement approach to fractions using number lines, fraction tiles, and fraction circles to teach fraction concepts and calculations. Each lesson includes teacher instruction, student group work, supplemental activities, and individual student work. Two versions were studied: a fluency version with strategic speed activities using flashcards to automate problem solving, and a conceptual version with manipulatives to encourage reasoning. Tutors participated in a week-long workshop training followed by bi-weekly 1-hour trainings focused on lesson content, student behavior management, and responding to varying student skill levels.

4th Grade

Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy and Xtreme Reading

2008

Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy (designed by WestEd) and Xtreme Reading (designed by the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning) are supplemental literacy programs designed as full-year courses for ninth-grade students reading two or more years below grade level. Both programs replace a ninth-grade elective class and aim to help students adopt strategies used by proficient readers, improve comprehension skills, and increase motivation to read. The programs meet for a minimum of 225 minutes per week in classes of 12-15 students. Reading Apprenticeship uses 'flexible fidelity' with teachers adapting lessons to student needs while maintaining program themes. Xtreme Reading follows prescribed daily lesson plans with structured activities. Both programs received five-day summer training institutes, booster training sessions during the school year, and minimum two one-day coaching visits. Teachers were experienced English/language arts or social studies teachers with an average of over 11 years of teaching experience.

9th Grade

Diagnostic Assessment Tools (DAT)

2015

Diagnostic Assessment Tools (DAT) consists of two interim diagnostic assessment software packages aligned to Indiana state standards and grade-level expectations for students in grades K-8. For grades K-2, DAT uses Wireless Generation's mCLASS, which includes brief DIEBELS reading probes administered individually via personal digital assistant and pencil-and-paper math assessments. For grades 3-8, DAT uses CTB/McGraw-Hill's Acuity, which includes seven online multiple-choice tests in reading or mathematics (four diagnostic assessments and three predictive assessments). Both assessment packages are accompanied by progress monitoring tools, instructional tools, and online support systems that allow teachers to assess student performance on state standards and identify students performing at different achievement levels. Teachers at intervention schools received training on how to use these tools and were instructed to use them to monitor student progress and adjust instruction to student needs with the goal of improving student achievement. Training was delivered using a train-the-trainer model, with 1-4 volunteer teachers from each school receiving 2-3 days of summer training from the state and assessment vendors, followed by another training in the fall, after which these teachers delivered 2-3 training sessions to other teachers at their schools within 6 months.

Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

Teacher Transfer Initiative

2015

The Teacher Transfer Initiative (TTI) is a program that enables principals of low-performing schools to provide financial bonuses to high-performing teachers when they transfer to and stay in the low-performing schools. Eligible teachers must be in the top 20% in their district on student test score growth and teach grades 3-8. Teachers who fill vacant positions through TTI can receive up to $20,000 in bonuses over 2 academic years, paid out in five installments contingent upon both transferring into and remaining in the targeted school. The program targets schools serving the lowest-performing students in the district. Transferring teachers receive a brief orientation.

3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

CATS Math Video Games

2014

CATS (Center for Advanced Technology in Schools) developed eight computer-based learning games targeting foundational pre-algebra concepts for sixth-grade students. Four games focused on fractions concepts (Wiki Jones, Save Patch, Tlaloc's Book, and Rosie's Rates) covering number line concepts, fraction addition, multiplicative inverse operations, and direct variation. Students played games for at least 40 minutes per period over 10 gameplay days, with 2-4 periods per game. Teachers received 3 hours of professional development training split into two 1.5-hour sessions covering mathematical concepts, common student errors, game mechanics, and classroom integration strategies.

6th Grade

My Teaching Partner–Secondary (MTP-S)

2011

My Teaching Partner–Secondary (MTP-S) is a coaching program designed to improve teacher-student interactions in secondary classrooms with students aged 11 to 18 to enhance student motivation and achievement. The program uses the Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Secondary (CLASS-S) framework to target emotional climate, sensitivity to student needs for autonomy, varied instructional modalities, and higher-order thinking. MTP-S integrates initial workshop-based training, an annotated video library, and personalized coaching over one school year followed by a brief booster workshop. During the school year, teachers submit video recordings of class sessions approximately twice a month, which trained consultants review and use to select brief segments illustrating positive interactions or areas for growth. Teachers observe their behavior and student reactions via a password-protected website, then participate in 20- to 30-minute phone conferences with consultants to strategize about enhancing interactions. The intervention requires approximately 20 hours of teacher in-service training spread across 13 months, with full costs of $3,700 per teacher for consultants and video equipment.

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

Success for All (SFA)

2015

Success for All (SFA) is a comprehensive whole-school reform model designed to improve reading skills for elementary school students, particularly those from low-income families. The program serves students in kindergarten through grade 6 and includes multiple components: a structured reading curriculum emphasizing phonics for beginning readers and comprehension for all students; scripted, briskly paced lessons using extensive cooperative learning in pairs and small groups; cross-grade ability grouping for reading with quarterly regrouping; frequent assessments of student learning; computerized small-group tutoring and individual tutoring for struggling students; Solutions Teams to address academic, behavioral, and attendance issues and promote parent/community involvement; schoolwide and classroom programs for social-emotional and conflict resolution skills; and initial and ongoing professional development for teachers with data monitoring. Schools must vote to adopt the program (requiring 75% teacher approval) and provide a full-time program facilitator. SFAF provides essential training, curriculum materials, a data system (Member Center) for monitoring progress, and a computerized tutoring system (Team Alphie).

Prekindergarten Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade

We Have Skills!

2015

We Have Skills! (WHS) is a supplemental, video-based social skills program for early elementary students in grades K-3. The intervention incorporates three components: instructional materials (including lesson plans, instructional videos, and supplemental activities), teacher professional development, and student assessment. Lessons include two main segments: a 5- to 10-minute discussion using questions from the lesson plan, and a 5-minute video lesson covering seven different social skills (how to listen, ask for help, follow directions, do the best you can, follow the rules, work out strong feelings, and get along). Instruction is delivered over eight weekly sessions beginning 3 weeks after the start of the school year, supplemented with guided practice activities, homework, and reinforcement components including skill tickets, tally sheets, parent notes, and certificates. Materials include skills booklets, coloring pages, picture cards with feelings, and posters. Teachers receive 1 hour of training in administering the WHS intervention and receive lesson plans and intervention materials for their classrooms.

Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade

Four Reading Interventions: Corrective Reading, Failure Free Reading, Spell Read P.A.T., and Wilson Reading

2006

This study evaluates four widely used remedial reading programs for struggling readers in grades 3 and 5: Corrective Reading, Failure Free Reading, Spell Read P.A.T., and Wilson Reading. The interventions were delivered as pull-out programs in small groups of three students, meeting five days per week for approximately 50-minute sessions from November 2003 through May 2004, totaling about 90 hours of instruction on average. Three interventions (Corrective Reading, Spell Read P.A.T., and Wilson Reading) focus primarily on word-level skills including phonemic awareness, phonemic decoding, and reading fluency through systematic and explicit instruction. Failure Free Reading focuses on building sight vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension through computer-based lessons, workbook exercises, and teacher-led instruction. Teachers were recruited from participating schools and received approximately 70 hours of professional development and support during the implementation year, including 30 hours of initial intensive training, 24 hours during a practice period, and 14 hours of supervision during the intervention phase.

3rd Grade 5th Grade