Hank Fien

Making Connections in Mathematics: Conceptual Mathematics Intervention for Low-Performing Students

In this study, the authors examined the effects of two supplemental interventions on the mathematics achievement of low-performing intermediate-grade students. A conceptually based intervention designed to reteach fundamental mathematics was evaluated along with an intervention designed to provide extended time in the context of the core curriculum and aligned with the general education classrooms daily instruction. After a 16-week intervention with 51 low-performing fifth-grade students, the authors found that the students in both intervention groups outperformed students in the control group on a measure of mathematics achievement. On a state accountability measure in mathematics, students in the extended core group performed better than other students. Implications for instructional decision making and supplemental interventions are discussed.

The Impact of a Comprehensive Tier I Core Kindergarten Program on the Achievement of Students at Risk in Mathematics.

This study examined the efficacy of a core kindergarten mathematics program, ELM, a 120-lesson comprehensive curriculum providing instruction in (a) number operations, (b) geometry, (c) measurement, and (d) vocabulary. ELM is designed to address the learning needs of all students, including at-risk students in the general education or Tier I classroom setting. The study utilized a randomized block design, with 64 classrooms randomly assigned within schools to treatment (ELM) or control (standard district practices) conditions. Measures of achievement were collected at pretest and posttest to measure student achievement. Students did not differ on mathematics assessments at pretest. Gain scores of at-risk treatment students were significantly greater than control peers, and the gains of at-risk treatment students were greater than the gains of peers not at risk, effectively reducing the achievement gap. Implications for Tier I instruction in a Response to Intervention (RTI) model are discussed.

Examining the Association between Explicit Mathematics Instruction and Student Mathematics Achievement.

Explicit instruction is a systematic instructional approach that facilitates frequent and meaningful instructional interactions between teachers and students around critical academic content. This study examined the relationship between student mathematics outcomes and the rate and quality of explicit instructional interactions that occur during core mathematics instruction in kindergarten classrooms using a multifaceted observation system. A total of 379 observations were conducted in 129 classrooms, involving approximately 2,200 students across a 2-year span. Results suggest that the rate and quality of instructional interactions is related to student mathematics achievement. Implications for instruction and observation research are discussed.

Explicit Mathematics Instruction: What Teachers Can Do for Teaching Students With Mathematics Difficulties.

This article describes the essential instructional elements necessary for delivering explicit mathematics instruction to students with mathematics difficulties. Mathematics intervention research indicates that explicit instruction is one of the most effective instructional approaches for teaching students with or at risk for math difficulties. Explicit instruction is a systematic approach that facilitates important instructional interactions between teachers and students around critical math content. This article describes a framework for delivering explicit math instruction in the early grades. Although the explicit framework is relevant across the range of early math content (i.e., measurement, geometry), the focus is on explicit instruction in the context of teaching place value concepts in kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Place value is a critical component of whole-number understanding and a necessary concept for students to develop mathematical proficiency. Key questions associated with explicit math instruction are also addressed.

Enhancing Core Mathematics Instruction for Students at Risk for Mathematics Disabilities.

CRA) approach (Hudson & Miller, 2006). As part of the CRA approach, a teacher might begin instruction with concrete examples (e.g., counting blocks) and then interweave pictorial representations (e.g., tally marks) and abstract symbols (e.g., numbers) as students grasp conceptual

Evaluating Three Elementary Mathematics Programs for Presence of Eight Research-Based Instructional Design Principles

The present review builds on earlier research that evaluated the curricular features of core math programs to improve the performances of students with or at risk for mathematics difficulties. In this review, three elementary math programs, at Grades 2 and 4, were evaluated for the presence of eight instructional principles. Math intervention studies have empirically validated these principles for promoting math proficiency of students struggling with mathematics. Data were collected via a researcher-developed scoring rubric. Findings indicate that adherence to the instructional principles varied markedly within and across programs. In addition, the results indicated that the current textbooks contain a general lack of explicit instruction and provide too few practice opportunities to teach material to mastery. Implications for future curricular reviews and enhancing core math instruction are discussed.

The Impact of Oregon Reading First on Student Reading Outcomes

This study examined the impact of Oregon Reading First on student reading outcomes. Outcomes in schools that began Reading First implementation in 2003–2004 (Cohort A) were compared to outcomes in schools that began Reading First implementation in 2005–2006 (Cohort B). The primary hypothesis, that experienced Cohort A schools would outperform less-experienced Cohort B schools, is linked to the model of Reading First used in Oregon and evidence that school reform outcomes can improve over time with high-quality reforms and strong implementation. School-level analyses involved 51 schools and over 3,000 K–3 students. In the major analysis year, 2005–2006, Cohort A schools consistently outperformed Cohort B schools on both formative and summative measures. Also, Cohort A schools had consistently higher rates of within-year reading growth on formative measures. Findings are discussed in the context of the national Reading First Impact Study.

Examining the Efficacy of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention

This study examined the efficacy of a Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics intervention program, ROOTS, focused on developing whole number understanding for students at risk in mathematics. A total of 29 classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment (ROOTS) or control (standard district practices) conditions. Measures of mathematics achievement were collected at pretest and posttest. Treatment and control students did not differ on mathematics assessments at pretest. Gain scores of at-risk intervention students were significantly greater than those of control peers, and the gains of at-risk treatment students were greater than the gains of peers not at risk, effectively reducing the achievement gap. Implications for Tier 2 mathematics instruction in a response to intervention (RtI) model are discussed.

Planning, Evaluating and Improving Tiers of Support in Beginning Reading.

cators accountable for increasing student achievement more than they have at any previous time (Guilfoyle, 2006). Substantial and reliable increases in student achievement do not happen overnight, however, but are the result of systematic and focused efforts. The business world uses the term kaizen for this concept of making small improvements every day that lead to large improvement over time (Varian, 2007; see box, “What Is the Origin of the Word Kaizen?”). Despite differences in the organization, structure, and purposes of the worlds of business and education, this idea of kaizen, or continuous improvement, is still critical to success for educators. To use the concept of kaizen in the world of education, educators need to understand how to use data to make educational decisions.

An Evaluation of an Explicit Read Aloud Intervention Taught in Whole-Classroom Formats In First Grade.

This study describes an evaluation of a read aloud intervention to improve comprehension and vocabulary of first-grade students. Twelve teachers were randomly assigned to an intervention or comparison condition. The study lasted 19 weeks, and the intervention focused on the systematic use of narrative and expository texts and dialogic interactions between teachers and students delivered in whole-classroom formats. Read aloud intervention lessons included before-, during-, and after-reading components and explicit instruction targeted comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. Teachers in the comparison condition implemented the same amount of read aloud instruction, focusing on strategies they believed would help their students with comprehension and vocabulary. On some, but not all, outcome measures, intervention students at low risk and high risk for language difficulties outperformed comparable students in the comparison group. Implications are discussed.