Evaluating The Efficacy of Short-Cycle Mathematic Interventions in a High-Minority/High-Poverty Urban Public Middle School

Abstract

There is a national interest among educators about how to properly design, implement, and evaluate academic interventions, particularly as related to students placed at risk.  This study provides school-based intervention teams with a rigorous methodological approach for monitoring and evaluating procedural fidelity as well as the effectiveness of short-cycle academic interventions; at the same time, the study describes some of the challenges faced when implementing a tiered academic intervention system.  The study adds to the literature by offering empirical evidence for the efficacy of specific instructional strategies aligned to specific elementary and middle-school Common Core Mathematics Standards.  A quasi-experimental research design with control groups and pre- and post-tests was used to draw causal inferences about the efficacy of intervention treatments.  Two short-cycle mathematics interventions for distinct Common Core Mathematics Standards were found to positively impact student learning.  Further implications for practice and future research are discussed.