A Regression Discontinuity Study of the Impact of Mathematics Achievement Fund on Student Outcomes

STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）参与方面的社会经济和种族差距有时可以追溯到幼儿园入学时出现的数学技能差异。重要的是，早期表现出数学发展滞后的儿童也可能在以后表现出较低的数学技能增长率。因此，早期在数学技能方面的差距可能会在学校教育过程中扩大。如何早期诊断和纠正数学缺陷是K-12学校必须系统地面对的挑战。与阅读不同，目前很少有州有一个连贯的全州范围内的早期数学干预计划。肯塔基州的数学成就基金（MAF）-一个全州范围的K-3数学干预计划-是一个国家的努力干预早期改变学生的数学发展轨迹的一个典型例子。通过使用准实验设计与MAF实施过程中收集的数据，本研究将提供有关国家如何构建和提供资源，以支持早期数学干预工作的宝贵信息。该项目将连接研究和实践，并添加急需的信息，以现有的知识库，国家可以使用时，考虑低年级的数学课程。拟议的项目是美国研究所和肯塔基州教育部之间的共同努力，并得到EHR核心研究（ECR）计划的支持，该计划支持推进STEM学习和学习环境的基础研究，扩大STEM的参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。现有的早期数学干预往往是一次性的，本地化的努力，通常没有连贯或可持续的战略，往往由实验者实施或由预先包装的干预措施供应商支持。显示出有希望结果的干预措施通常是小规模研究，而大规模研究往往发现无效益处。本研究旨在以回归不连续性为框架，探讨MAF对学生学习成绩的因果影响。特别是，该项目将使用学生一级的行政数据和通过调查和访谈收集的原始数据，以研究MAF对学生的学业和非学业成果的因果影响，无论是在干预后立即还是在以后的年级。该项目还将调查谁可能从MAF中受益以及在什么条件下受益，并对该计划进行成本效益分析。该项目将以几种方式对现有文献作出贡献。首先，大多数关于早期数学干预的现有研究都集中在干预结束时的学生成果上。有证据表明，对学生成绩的短期影响可能会随着时间的推移而消失。通过跟踪一些进入高中的三年级学生，该项目计划研究MAF计划的短期效益（如果有的话）随着时间的推移持续的程度。此外，该项目还将探讨MAF如何影响儿童上学经历的其他方面，例如MAF对其他科目的可能溢出效应以及中学课程和学生参与等非测试结果。通过这种方式，拟议的项目旨在催化新的知识，这将有助于在国家一级系统，连贯的早期年级数学政策的讨论提供信息。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Socioeconomic and racial gaps in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) participation can sometimes be traced back to discrepancies in mathematics skills that emerge at kindergarten entry. Importantly, children who exhibit early lags in mathematics development may also demonstrate lower growth rates in mathematics skills later. Consequently, early gaps in mathematics skills may widen over the course of schooling. How to diagnose and correct mathematics shortcomings early is a challenge that K–12 schools must confront systematically. Unlike reading, few states currently have a coherent statewide program for early mathematics intervention. Kentucky’s Mathematics Achievement Fund (MAF)—a statewide K-3 mathematics intervention program—is a prime example of a state’s effort to intervene early on to change a student’s mathematics development trajectory. By using a quasi-experimental design with data gathered during the implementation of MAF, this study will provide valuable information on how states can structure and provide resources to support early mathematics intervention efforts. The project will connect research and practice and add much-needed information to the existing knowledge base that states can use when considering early-grade mathematics programs. The proposed project is a joint effort between the American Institutes for Research and the Kentucky Department of Education and is supported by the EHR Core Research (ECR) program, which supports work that advances fundamental research on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development.Existing early-grade mathematics interventions tend to be one-off, localized efforts, usually without a coherent or sustainable strategy, and often implemented by experimenters or supported by vendors of prepackaged interventions. Interventions that show promising results are typically small-scale studies, whereas large-scale studies often find null benefits. This project is designed to examine the causal effects of MAF on student outcomes in a regression discontinuity framework. In particular, the project will use student-level administrative data and original data collected through surveys and interviews to examine the causal effects of MAF on students’ academic and non-academic outcomes both immediately after the intervention and in later grades. The project will also investigate who is likely to benefit from MAF and under what conditions and conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the program. The project will contribute to the existing literature in several ways. First, most existing studies on early mathematics interventions focus on student outcomes at the end of the intervention. There is evidence that large, short-run effects on student scores in early grades could dissipate over time. By tracking some 3rd-grade students into high school, the project plans to examine the extent to which the short-term benefits of the MAF program, if any, persist over time. Further, the project will also explore how MAF may affect other aspects of children’s schooling experiences such as possible spillover effects of MAF on other subjects and non-test outcomes like middle school course-taking and student engagement. In this way, the proposed project seeks to catalyze new knowledge that will help inform the discussion on systematic, coherent early-grade mathematics policies at the state level.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.