Failure rates increased and grades declined for higher-skill students in single-period algebra after the policy¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2010 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Higher-skill students who continued in single-period algebra experienced increased failure rates and declining average grades after the policy. → Claire Durwood 2010

Evidence¶

Claire Durwood 2010¶

Claire Durwood, Emily Krone, and Christopher Mazzeo. (2010). Are Two Algebra Classes Better Than One? The Effects of Double-Dose Instruction in Chicago. Consortium on Chicago School Research, University of Chicago. http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/content/page.php?cat=3&content_id=34

q3 · i? · causal · r2

In the CCSR cohort study, students with slightly above-average skills "were now the weaker students in their classes and their course performance suffered accordingly," even though they learned more algebra than similar students in prior cohorts.

"Failure rates actually increased for higher-skill students who continued to take single-period algebra, and their average grades declined."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Peer skill levels declined for high-skill students in algebra classrooms after the policy — related
• Double-dose algebra improved test scores but did not reduce algebra failure rates — related
• Policy effects on grades and failure rates differed by incoming ability: most below-norm students' grades improved slightly, but the very lowest-ability students' algebra grades declined — related
• The double-dose algebra policy adversely affected non-targeted above-norm students: their algebra grades declined and failure rates increased post-policy — related
• Fish pond effects: above-norm students became more likely to fail algebra when their skills were low relative to classroom peers after sorting — related
• Double-dose algebra support courses improved algebra test scores for targeted low-skilled students but only modestly affected grades and failure rates — related
• The double-dose policy affected non-targeted high-ability students: their algebra test scores improved while their grades declined — related
• Sorting by ability affects grades and pass rates differently from test scores: high-skilled students' grades and pass rates decline while low-skilled students' grades improve — related
• Algebra failure rates rose post-policy for above-norm students (~3 percentage points) but fell for below-norm students (~4 points); classroom environment and peer ability explained most of the above-norm rise but not the below-norm fall — related