Improving Numeracy Outcomes for 'At Risk' Children: A cluster-Randomised Control Trial of Precision Teaching Methods.

尽管有证据支持早期干预，但威尔士的许多学生仍然在没有必要的基本算术技能的情况下进入高中（经合组织，2014年）。与技能缺陷相关的学业成绩不良已被概念化为“累积性不流利”范式（Binder，1996）。也就是说，学业不良是学生在学习复杂技能之前没有掌握多项先决技能的结果。基于证据的方法已应用于教育领域，以纠正累积的不流利效应（例如，Gallagher，2006; Hughes等人，2007; Hunter等人，2016; Beverley等人，PT是从学习的基本原则衍生的“加速学习”系统的一个例子（Fredrick & Hummel，2004）。这有助于儿童比通常通过采用基于掌握的方法所预期的更快地学习技能（Kubina等人，2002年）。PT已被证明在提高包括识字在内的广泛领域的基本技能方面是有效的（例如，Cavallini等人，2010）和计算能力（例如，布雷迪和库比纳，2010年;海登和麦克劳克林，2004年）。PT干预措施通常采用小n设计，针对被诊断患有特定困难的儿童。最近的班级范围的实验研究扩大了主流课堂有效性的证据基础（例如，Hunter等人，2016; Beverley等人，2009年，2016年）。然而，没有研究使用金标准RCT方法评价PT，该方法为干预有效性提供了更有力的证据（Thornicroft，2011）。这将是对有效早期干预的证据基础的重要补充。这项研究的主要目的是扩大目前的证据基础，在整个北威尔士的学校精确的教学方法的有效性。我们的目标是通过进行大规模的精确教学方法的随机对照试验（c-RCT）来实现这一目标。这将旨在缩小学业成绩差的"风险“儿童之间的学业成绩差距（即，有资格享受免费学校餐（eFSM）或来自贫困背景的学生）和他们的平均同龄人。具体而言，该项目旨在提高算术能力。缩小这一成就差距是威尔士政府（2016年）和《福祉和后代法》（2015年）的一个关键目标。这也是GwE（北威尔士地区学校效率和改进服务）的优先事项，如其区域业务计划（GwE，2015）所述。拟议的研究将建立在目前作为教育研究和影响合作研究所（CIEREI）一部分进行的系统研究和实施方案的基础上。

Despite an evidence-base supporting early intervention many students in Wales still reach high school without necessary basic numeracy skills (OECD, 2014). Academic underachievement relating to skill deficits has been conceptualised in the 'cumulative dysfluency' paradigm (Binder, 1996). That is, underachievement is a result of a student not acquiring multiple prerequisite skills to a level of mastery before progressing onto complex skills. Evidence-based approaches have been applied within education to remediate the cumulative dysfluency effect (e.g., Gallagher, 2006; Hughes et al., 2007; Hunter, et al., 2016; Beverley et al., 2016).PT is an example of an 'accelerated learning' system derived from the basic principles of learning (Fredrick & Hummel, 2004). This helps children learn skills faster than would be typically expected by employing mastery-based methods (Kubina, et al., 2002). PT has been shown to be effective at improving basic skills across a wide range of domains including literacy (e.g., Cavallini et al., 2010) and numeracy (e.g., Brady & Kubina, 2010; Hayden & McLaughlin, 2004). PT interventions have typically adopted small n designs, aimed at children diagnosed with specific difficulties. More recent class-wide experimental studies have extended the evidence-base for effectiveness in mainstream classrooms (e.g., Hunter et al., 2016; Beverley et al., 2009, 2016). However, no research has evaluated PT using gold standard RCT methods, which offer more robust evidence for interventions effectiveness (Thornicroft, 2011). This would represent an important addition to the evidence-base for effective early interventions. The primary aim of this research is to extend the current evidence-base for the effectiveness of Precision Teaching methods in schools across North Wales. We aim to do this by conducting a large-scale cluster-Randomised Control Trials (c-RCTs) of Precision Teaching methods. This will be aimed at reducing the academic attainment gap between children 'at risk' of poor academic outcomes (i.e., pupils who are eligible for Free-School Meals [eFSM] or come from deprived backgrounds) and their average peers. Specifically, this project aims to improve attainment in numeracy. Closing this attainment gap is a key target for Welsh Government (2016) and the Well- being and Future Generations Act (2015). It is also a priority for GwE (Regional School Effectiveness and Improvement Service for North Wales), as set out in their regional business plan (GwE, 2015). The proposed research will build on a systematic research and implementation programme currently being conducted as part of the Collaborative Institute for Education Research and Impact (CIEREI).