Examining Teacher and Student Outcomes in the Math in the Middle Institute Partnership
Findings indicate that participation in M2 is associated with positive impacts in the areas of teacher pedagogical content knowledge, instructional practice, use of assessment, and preparedness and confidence related to teaching mathematics. Preliminary analysis of student achievement data indicates mixed results.
The evaluation and research teams are collecting additional student achievement data in rural districts and are assembling a longitudinal data set for students in the Lincoln Public Schools which will permit analysis of outcomes over multiple years. Subsequent analyses are expected to provide results that are more valid, representing the experience of students and teachers over multiple years and in multiple settings influenced by M2.
Valid estimation of the impact of student achievement outcomes across mathematics-science partnerships has been challenging. Analyses conducted as part of the Math in the Middle Institute Partnership represent a strong starting point and suggest directions for future research. Further, these results suggest benefits of designing MSP project implementation in ways that facilitate most valid assessments of impact. For example, random assignment of eligible teachers to participate in M2 would provide greater confidence that observed effects are not associated with teacher self-selection or with administrator support for the most qualified applicants. To maximize the extent to which impact on students can be assessed in rural settings, research and evaluation activities might be expanded to include a project-specific assessment that can be compared across all project districts and that is better aligned with project objectives.
