Running Head: The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Sixth and Seventh Grade Students

Math Proficiency
Kendra Sorenson
University of North Carolina

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

Abstract
Research shows that students who are behind in math in eighth grade are
most likely to continue to fall behind two years later. However, researchers
have discovered several helpful math interventions. Many of these
interventions have been employed at Smith Middle School in a unique math
intervention class called Math Success. Math Success has been implemented
for sixth and seventh grade students, but not eighth. As part of an advocacy
effort, the purpose of this research study is to measure the effectiveness of
the Math Success class on 40 sixth and seventh grade students so that it can
be implemented for eighth grade students if found effective.
Keywords: math achievement, middle school

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

Introduction
In 2002, eighth grade students in the United States were scoring below
the international average in math, with 20 countries scoring significantly
higher than them in math (Schmidt, 2002). Likewise, in 2011, the United
States ranked lower than 23 countries in eighth grade math achievement
(TIMSS, 2015). These findings suggest that eighth grade math achievement
has not improved much over the last several years. These findings are
echoed at Smith Middle School where proficiency percentages on math EOG
tests were lower than they were for reading and science (School Report Card,
2015).
In light of math achievement not being at its highest, a teacher at
Smith Middle School developed a class to help. Math Success is a class that
is designed for students whose EOG scores are just short of the proficiency
level for their grade. These students take the Math Success class before their
regular math class every day. During this time, they practice math facts to
strengthen their math foundation and go over the lesson that will be taught
later in the day. By the time they get to their regular math class, they are
learning the information a second time. The purpose of Math Success is to
build confidence for students who struggle with math, help them work on
basic skills, help them become proficient on the EOG, and use different

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

methods of teaching to pre-teach what is being taught in their regular math

class (N. Stuchiner, personal communication, February 12, 2015).
The Math Success class is a highly sought after math intervention, but
is fairly exclusive because of teacher availability. Currently only 28 students
receive the Math Success intervention out of 876 students in the school.
While this is understandable, what is not understandable is that Math
Success is not offered to eighth grade students. Research shows that eighth
grade may be the last time an intervention like this could be helpful.
Chudowsky and Chudowsky found that in eighth grade, achievement gaps
begin to widen between African American and white students, Latino and
white students, and Native American and white students at the advanced
achievement level (2011). Math Success currently consists of 92% Black and
Hispanic students and would likely serve the same population in eighth grade
were it available. These are the students whose achievement is increasing at
a slower rate and could benefit from a math intervention like Math Success.
Rock et. al added that students who have fallen furthest behind by 8th grade
are the ones who are most likely to continue to fall behind 2 years later
(1994, p. 1). Non-proficient eighth grade math students need a successful
math intervention or they risk falling even further behind their classmates.
The problem is that there is not a systemic math intervention available to the
eighth grade students. As part of an advocacy effort, this research study will
measure the effectiveness of the Math Success class on sixth and seventh

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

grade students so that it can be implemented for eighth grade students if

found effective.
Literature Review
As mentioned previously, 92% of the students currently being served
by the Math Success class are Black or Hispanic. Research shows that
Hispanic students enter kindergarten with math skills much lower than those
of non-Hispanic White students (Reardon & Galindo, 2007). This shows that
when entering school, Hispanic students do not have the same amount of
background knowledge about math as White students. Willingham suggests
that if left in the traditional classroom, students with lower amounts of
background knowledge will have difficulty learning at the same rate as those
who have more background knowledge (2009). This is supported by another
study showing that in middle school Black and Hispanic students in
traditional school models had significantly lower rates of passing than White
students for a standardized math and reading test (Gill, 2011). These studies
support the idea that the Math Success class is reaching a student
population that is shown to fall behind other students in math.
One of the purposes of the Math Success class is to increase selfefficacy and confidence in students who have struggled with math in the
past. Hanlon and Schneider conducted a study in which they examined how
self-efficacy training impacted math quiz scores for high school seniors
(1999). They found that over time, students achievement scores on a math
proficiency exam improved significantly, as did their confidence levels about

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

passing the exam (Hanlon & Schneider, 1999, p. 2). These students also
outperformed students who did not receive the self-efficacy training (Hanlon
& Schneider, 1999, p. 2). Although this study was done with high school
seniors, its implications support the purpose of the Math Success class:
increasing self-efficacy in Math Success students could aid them in catching
up to their peers who are performing at grade level.
Another purpose of Math Success is to pre-teach the information the
students will hear in their regular math class. Willingham calls this concept
spaced practice and suggests that it fosters remembering and allows
students to practice applying what they know (2009). Seeing information
presented a second time allows students to think more carefully about how
to work with that information and how it applies to what they already know
(Willingham, 2009). This shows that the Math Success class could give
students a much needed edge in their regular math class, which could help
them keep up with the rest of the class.
Math Success also uses varying activities, including games and
technology, to teach students material. Willingham supports this method by
pointing out that concepts must be practiced over and over again in different
ways before they really become automatized (2009). Once processes are
automatized, they are much easier to recall. The students in Math Success
are getting more practice with different concepts, which will aid them in
memorizing facts more quickly, allowing them to keep up in their regular
math class.

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

A major component of the Math Success class is the use of technology.

Each student uses an iPad for a portion of the class in which they practice
basic math facts through various games. These games track student
progress allowing data to be easily collected and maintained. Research on
the use of technology in teaching mathematics is inconclusive. One study
found that re-teaching basic math skills using technology increased mastery
of basic mathematics for fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth grades (Hudson et al.,
2010). This study, although not performed with seventh and eighth grade
students, is in support of Math Success using technology to provide an
effective math intervention. However, Salvin et al. found limited evidence
that technology was effective in teaching math and suggested that the most
successful math programs focus on student interaction (2010). Having each
student use an iPad to practice their math facts may be a good way to collect
data for the Math Success class, but it does not foster student interaction.
These studies do not mention the effectiveness of integrating technology
among other methods as the Math Success class has done.
Because Math Success is a class that is exclusive to Smith Middle
School, there have not been any studies measuring its effectiveness.
However, Gersten et al. (2009) have outlined the eight things that make a
math intervention successful: (1) screen all students to identify those at risk
for difficulty in math, (2) committee-selected instructional materials for
students including a focus on rational numbers for middle school students,
(3) instruction that provides guided practice, corrective feedback, review,

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

and verbalization of thought processes, (4) focus on solving word problems,

(5) include visual representations of mathematical ideas, (6) spend time
working on basic math facts, (7) monitor progress of students, and (8)
include motivational strategies. Comparing the components of the Math
Success class to the components previously outlined can provide some
insight to whether or not Math Success might be a good intervention. First,
Math Success screens students in fifth grade based on EOG score and
teacher recommendation. Instructional materials are not decided on by a
committee, but rather by the teachers who teach all the math classes.
Because of the small teacher-student ratio it is easier for instructors to
provide corrective feedback and guided practice. Visual representation of
material is provided as the students review math facts electronically. This
electronic review allows instructors to easily monitor student progress. Other
than promoting self-efficacy, the Math Success class does not provide
specific motivational strategies. With only a few exceptions, the Math
Success class meets all the criteria for a successful math intervention as
outlined by Gersten et al. (2009).
This review of literature has shown that all the components of the Math
Success class are shown to be effective in isolation. However, there is a lack
of knowledge about how these components interact together in one math
intervention program for middle school students. This study strives to
provide that knowledge as it examines the effectiveness of the Math Success
class at Smith Middle School.

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

Hypothesis
The above research shows that there is a need for a math intervention
for eighth grade students and that the Math Success class, if found effective,
could fill that need. The hypothesis for this study is that students in the Math
Success group will outperform students in a comparison group on the
Performance Series Tests as well as the End of Grade (EOG) math test by a
statistically significant margin.
Methodology
Participants
Participants for the Math Success group will include all students who
have been enrolled in the Math Success class for at least one semester
during the 2013-2014 or 2014-2015 school year. These names will be
collected from the Math Success class rosters listed on PowerSchool.
Unfortunately, the class rosters from years prior to the 2013-2014 school
year are unavailable and therefore cannot be included in the study.
The comparison group will be drawn from the student population that
has not ever been enrolled in the Math Success class. The students selected
for the comparison group should be as similar as possible to the students in
the Math Success group to decrease the impact of outside variables. For this
study, the comparison group will contain the same number of students as
the Math Success group and will be made up of the same racial and gender
proportions. Additionally, students in the comparison group will be enrolled in
similar classes as the Math Success group. For example, if one student in the

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

10

Math Success group is also enrolled in a reading intervention class, then one
student in the comparison group will be drawn from the reading intervention
class. Examining EOG math scores will narrow the comparison group down
further. Students who begin Math Success in sixth grade are admitted based
on their fifth grade EOG math score. Similarly, students who enter into Math
Success in seventh grade are admitted based on their sixth grade EOG math
score. The percentage of students being admitted to Math Success in sixth
grade and the percentage of students being admitted in seventh grade will
be reflected in the comparison group. To match the percentage of students
who entered Math Success in sixth grade, the comparison group will examine
the same percentage of fifth grade EOG math scores. Students chosen for
the comparison group will have the same scores as the students in the Math
Success group. The same will be true for the students who started Math
Success in seventh grade. The same percentage of students for the
comparison group will have the same scores as the Math Success group on
the sixth grade math EOG test.
When students are chosen for the Math Success class, they are not just
evaluated based on their math EOG score from the previous year, but also a
teacher recommendation. Unfortunately, there is no way to control for this
variable in the comparison group. This is seen as a limitation to the study.
Race and Gender
For the purposes of this study, the race and gender of the participants
will be taken from the demographic information on PowerSchool. The parent

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

11

or guardian of the student reported the demographic information of the

student. This will be used to categorize the participants by race and gender.
End of Grade Math Test
The End of Grade tests are given in the last three weeks of the school
year in the subjects of math, science, and reading. The math EOG measures
students proficiency in numbers and operations, measurement, geometry,
data analysis and probability, and algebra (NC Public Schools). For the
purposes of this study, only the math EOG will be used. As mentioned
previously, the math EOG scores will be used to track students progress in
math. The score on the EOG will determine whether or not the student is
considered proficient in math: a score of I or II is considered nonproficient and a score of III, IV, or V is considered proficient.
Performance Series Tests
The Performance Series Test (PST) is an internet-based standardized
exam that determines if students are above grade level, at grade level, or
below grade level in certain subjects. The tests are given during the school
year in September, January, and May. The results allow educators to track
students progress and determine if they are being taught the right material.
Scores on the PST range from 1300 to 3700. Scores also provide a national
percentile ranking as well as a grade level equivalent for students. The 20142015 school year is the first year that Smith Middle School has used the PST.
The PST is being used in this study to provide an extra data point at which to
compare students in Math Success to the comparison group. Unfortunately,

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

12

there is only one EOG score to examine for students who just started Math
Success in the 2014-2015 school year. This makes it more difficult to track
the students progress toward becoming proficient in math. However, by
including the PST data, the researcher will be able to track the students
progress in learning math concepts.
Data Analysis
To present the findings in this study, the researcher will make a chart
for the students who have received the Math Success intervention (see Table
1) and a separate chart for those who have not (see Table 2). First,
demographic information such as current grade, race, and gender will be
recorded. Then, the math EOG scores for the year prior to entering Math
Success will be collected from the test scores report on PowerSchool. The
math EOG scores will be averaged. Then, if applicable, any math EOG scores
for the years following Math Success entry will be recorded and averaged for
each year. Then PST data from September and January respectively will be
recorded. The researcher will average the scaled score (ranging from 1300 to
3700) from the September test for both the Math Success group and the
comparison group. The same will be done for the January PST scaled scores.
These charts will provide easily comparable data for both the researcher and
the reader.
After the data in these charts has been collected and averaged,
_____________ test will be used to analyze the data. This test is appropriate
because _______________.

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

13

References
Chudowsky, N., Chudowsky, V., & Center on Education, P. (2011). State Test
Score Trends through 2008-09, Part3. Student Achievement at 8th
Grade. Center On Education Policy.
General Information about the (EOGs) Mathematics and Reading
Comprehension. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2015, from
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/parents/1b
Gersten, R., Beckmann, S., Clarke, B., Foegen, A., Marsh, L., Star, J., & Witzel,
B. (2009). Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

14

Intervention (RtI) for Elementary and Middle Schools. National Center

for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.
Gill, W. A. (2011). Middle School A/B Block and Traditional Scheduling: An
Analysis of Math and Reading Performance by Race. NASSP Bulletin,
95(4), 281-301.
Hanlon, E. H., & Schneider, Y. (1999). Improving Math Proficiency through Self
Efficacy Training.
Hudson, S., Kadan, S., Lavin, K., & Vasquez, T. (2010). Improving Basic Math
Skills Using Technology. Online Submission,
Reardon, S. F., & Galindo, C. (2007). Patterns of Hispanic Students Math Skill
Proficiency in the Early Elementary Grades. Journal Of Lations And
Education, 6(3), 229-251.
Rock D., National Center for Education Statistics (ED), W. D. (ED),
Washington, DC., & And, O. (1994). Changes in Math Proficiency
between 8th and 10th Grades, Statistics in Brief.
Schmidt, W., & Michigan State Univ., E. C. (2002). Missed Opportunities: How
Mathematics Education in the U.S. Puts Our Students at a
Disadvantage and What Can Be Done about It. Policy Report No. 7.
Education Policy Center, Michigan State University,
School Report Cards-Smith Middle School. (2015, January 1). Retrieved
February 24, 2015.

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

15

Slavin, R. E., Lake, C., Groff, C., & Center for Data-Driven Reform in
Education, (2010). What Works in Teaching Math? Educators Guide,
Center For Research And Reform In Education,
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015.
(2015). International Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from
https://nces.ed.gov/TIMSS/pdf/TIMSS_2015_Brochure.pdf
Willingham, D. (2009). Why don't students like school?: A cognitive scientist
answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for
the classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Appendix
Table 1
Math Success Students
Stude Curre Rac Gend
nt
nt
e
er
Grade

EOG I

EOG II

EOG III

PST
Sept.

PST
Jan.

Reading
Interventio
n?

The Effectiveness of Math Success on Math Proficiency

Table 2
Comparison Group
Stude Curre Rac
nt
nt
e
Grade

Gend
er

16

Averag
e:

Averag
e:

Averag
e:

Averag
e:

Averag
e:

EOG I

EOG II

EOG III

PST
Sept.

PST
Jan.

Averag
e:

Averag
e:

Averag
e:

Averag
e:

Averag
e:

Reading
Interventio
n?