Content-intensive math PD produced a statistically significant, sustained gain in grade 4 teachers' math content knowledge (21 percentile points in spring)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2–r3 · q4
Currency · newest study 2016 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q4 i? Randomly assigned treatment teachers scored 6 points (21 percentile points) higher than control teachers on the math knowledge assessment in spring 2014, after the full 93-hour PD program. → Garet 2016 q4 i? The knowledge impact appeared after the 80-hour Intel Math component alone (7 points, 24 percentile points in fall) and was largely sustained into the spring. → Garet 2016 (2)

Evidence¶

Garet 2016¶

Garet, M. S., Heppen, J. B., Walters, K., Parkinson, J., Smith, T. M., Song, M., Garrett, R., Yang, R., & Borman, G. D. (2016). Focusing on mathematical knowledge: The impact of content-intensive teacher professional development, executive summary (NCEE 2016-4009). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee

q4 · i? · causal · r2

RCT with random assignment of 221 grade 4 teachers within 94 schools; spring 2014 NWEA teacher knowledge assessment aligned to PD content. The report states these differences correspond to "an improvement of 24 percentile points in the fall and 21 percentile points in the spring."

"Treatment teachers' average knowledge score was 7 points higher than control teachers' average score in the fall, and 6 points higher than control teachers' average score in the spring"

Garet 2016 (2)¶

Garet, M. S., Heppen, J. B., Walters, K., Parkinson, J., Smith, T. M., Song, M., Garrett, R., Yang, R., & Borman, G. D. (2016). Focusing on mathematical knowledge: The impact of content-intensive teacher professional development, executive summary (NCEE 2016-4009). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee

q4 · i? · causal · r3

Impact analysis from the same randomized trial, comparing fall 2013 (post-Intel Math) and spring 2014 knowledge scores between treatment and control teachers; significance marked at the 0.05 level in Exhibit ES.1.

"The PD had a statistically significant impact on teachers' content knowledge in the fall, after the 80 hours of Intel Math were delivered but before the 13 hours of supports for enactment were delivered. This impact was largely sustained into the spring"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• A 93-hour content-intensive math PD program improved fourth-grade teachers' math content knowledge — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• The PD did not improve fourth-grade student math achievement; treatment students scored 2 percentile points lower on both measures — related
• The PD significantly improved the Richness of Mathematics dimension of instructional practice (23 percentile points) but not Student Participation or Errors and Imprecision in spring — related
• The PD's spring impact on teacher knowledge was larger for teachers with higher baseline knowledge and not significant for those 1 SD below average — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Despite gains in teacher knowledge and practice, the PD did not improve student math achievement; treatment students scored 2 percentile points lower — related
• The spring knowledge impact was larger for teachers with higher baseline knowledge: significant for teachers 1 SD above average (34 percentile points) but not 1 SD below (8 points) — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• The 93-hour PD was implemented with high fidelity and high teacher participation, creating a 95-hour contrast in math-related PD versus control — related
• The 93-hour PD was implemented with high fidelity, with 96 percent of Intel Math hours and 100 percent of the school-year components delivered — related