Coherent Implementation of Mathematics Instructional Materials: A Study of the Variations and Effects of District Supports for Implementation

本项目旨在了解实施综合小学数学教材所需的地区和学校层面的支持。它通过一项为期四年的纵向混合方法研究，在两到四个州的10到12个学区的所有1-5年级的学生中实施“日常数学”或“数字、数据和空间调查”。该项目从地区的角度调查和实施实施战略的一致性；考虑校本支援和教材使用水平的中介作用；并考察了连贯的实施和学生成绩之间的联系，这是在小学数学的国家评估中衡量的。数据是通过对地区一级行政人员、校长和小学教师的访谈和调查以及对学生数学成绩的年度州测试收集的。指导这项工作的一些研究问题是：教学材料实施的地区层面一致性的维度是什么？学校层面对教材实施的支持有哪些方面？在某一时间点和一段时间内，地区水平的一致性与学校水平学生分数的变化有何关系？哪些因素调节了地区层面的一致性与学生成绩之间的关系（即，免费或减价午餐的百分比，地区规模）？学校层面对实施的支持和/或学校层面的使用是否调解了地区层面的一致性和学生成绩之间的关系？在一个时间点和一段时间内，学校层面的实施支持与学校层面学生分数的变化有什么关系？哪些因素调节了学校层面对实施的支持与学生成果（即免费或减价午餐的百分比、学校规模）之间的关系？学校层面的使用是否在学校层面的实施支持与学生成果之间起到中介作用？全国许多地区最近的数学改进工作都集中在使用符合州标准的教学材料上，这通常是为了对学生成绩的问责制做出回应。支持这一运动的是精心设计的教学材料的出现，包括《日常数学》和《调查》等课程。这些材料的前景是巨大的，但它们的影响取决于教师在课堂上使用它们的程度。教学材料不能单独存在：它们必须与地区和学校层面的实践和政策要素仔细结合起来，为教师提供必要的指导，使材料的愿景适用于课堂实践。各学区提供这些支持的程度各不相同。这项研究应该对理解组织必须做些什么来实现这些材料的承诺做出重大贡献，揭示成功的关键条件。在美国各地的教育工作者、学校管理者和政策制定者计划、资助和努力使用新的教学材料时，研究结果可能会引起他们的主要兴趣。它应阐明影响大规模扩大这类材料规模的因素。

This project seeks to understand the district- and school-level supports needed to implement comprehensive elementary mathematics instructional materials. It explores through a four-year, longitudinal, mixed methods study the implementation of Everyday Mathematics or Investigations in Number, Data, and Space in all of Grades 1-5 in ten to 12 school districts in two to four states. The project investigates and operationalizes the coherence of implementation strategies from the district perspective; considers the mediating role of school-based supports and level of use of the materials; and examines the connection between coherent implementation and student outcomes as measured on state assessments in elementary mathematics. Data are gathered through interviews and surveys of district-level administrators principals, and elementary teachers, and from annual state tests of student achievement in mathematics. Some of the research questions guiding this work are: What are the dimensions of district-level coherence of implementation of instructional materials? What are the dimensions of school-level support for implementation of instructional materials? How does district-level coherence relate to changes in school-level student scores at a single point in time and over time? What factors moderate the relationship between district-level coherence and student outcomes (i.e., percentage of free or reduced-price lunch, size of district)? Does school-level support for implementation and/or school-level use mediate the relationship between district-level coherence and student outcomes? How does school-level support of implementation relate to changes in school-level student scores, at a single point in time and over time? What factors moderate the relationship between school-level support of implementation and student outcomes (i.e., percentage of free or reduced-price lunch, size of school)? Does school-level use mediate the relationship between school-level support of implementation and student outcomes? Many districts across the country have centered their recent mathematics improvement efforts on the use of instructional materials aligned to state standards, often in response to increased accountability for student outcomes. Supporting this movement is the emergence of well-designed instructional materials, including programs such as Everyday Mathematics and Investigations. The promise of such materials is great, but their impact is mediated by how well they are used by teachers in their classrooms. Instructional materials do not stand alone: they must be carefully aligned with elements of practice and policy at the district and school level to provide teachers with the guidance needed to enact the materials' vision for classroom practice. School districts vary in the degree to which they provide these supports. This study should make a major contribution to understanding what organizations must do realize the promise of such materials, uncovering conditions crucial to success. Results can be of major interest to educators, school administrators and policymakers across the U.S. as they plan, fund and expend efforts to use new instructional materials. It should shed light on factors affecting the scale-up of such materials at large scale.