NBA Math Hoops can be implemented at low marginal cost: $17.85 per pupil (analytic sample) in materials and training beyond typical summer programming, yielding 0.19 SD math gain¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Total per-pupil cost was $184.41 (analytic sample); materials and in-person training alone cost $17.85 per pupil for a 0.19 SD math gain ($59.23 per pupil total sample for 1 SD). → McKinney 2026

Evidence¶

McKinney 2026¶

McKinney, D., Walters, K., Powell, K., Sabalburo, E., & Morton, C. (2026). The impact of NBA Math Hoops on students' math achievement: A randomized controlled trial. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED681343

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Cost analysis based on program records and study data: total per-pupil cost $184.41 (analytic) or $98.57 (total sample); marginal cost of materials and training $17.85 or $11.37 per pupil respectively. Virtual training option would cost under 35 cents per student.

"Assuming that NBA Math Hoops is integrated into typical summer programming, the cost-effectiveness is $92.99 per pupil (for the analytic sample) and $59.23 per pupil (for the study sample) to produce an increase of 1 standard deviation in student math learning."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• NBA Math Hoops significantly improves elementary and middle school students' math achievement compared to business-as-usual summer STEM programming (0.19 SD gain) — related
• Per-participant implementation costs fall substantially in leaner implementation models without a warm-up year or local coach — related
• The cost-effectiveness ratio of ASSISTments is approximately $462.30 per student per standard deviation of long-term math achievement gain — related
• ASSISTments achieved a long-term effect comparable to high-dosage tutoring at a small fraction of the cost — related
• NBA Math Hoops was implemented with high fidelity: teachers completed an average of 8.31 of 10 lessons and played 14.5 games per classroom over roughly 15 days — related
• NBA Math Hoops students scored significantly lower than controls on a composite SEL measure (−0.21 SD), though remaining at moderately high levels — related
• NBA Math Hoops math gains are larger for students entering with stronger incoming math scores, with no significant variation by gender, IEP status, or incoming SEL — related
• High-quality tutoring produces large learning gains cost-effectively, in person and virtually — related