Cross-district study of middle school math curricula, culturally responsive materials, and teacher professional learning¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

A research project on "Middle School Math: Culturally Responsive Materials, Teacher Professional Learning, and Student Engagement," conducted from 2019 to 2024, prepared for the Gates Foundation, and carried out across multiple districts. The brief draws its lessons from "our experience engaging study participants in the research process for a study of middle school math curricula and instruction," positioning partner engagement as central to the study's research-to-action approach.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• The study relied on engagement with district partners and study participants across the research process.

Constraints¶

• The brief reports partnership lessons rather than student outcome findings; no effect sizes are printed.

Target Learners¶

• Middle school students and their teachers in participating districts

Target Learning Goals¶

• Improving middle school math instruction through culturally responsive curricula and teacher professional learning

Claims¶

• Middle school math teachers are more likely to make productive than nonproductive adaptations to curricula [+W]

Related Elements¶

• Three research-based summer math programs for grade 6-8 students (2019 and 2020)

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Moira McCullough, Menbere Shiferaw. (2024). Navigating the gray spaces in research-to-action: Engaging partners in a cross-district study of middle school math curricula. Mathematica. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/navigating-the-gray-spaces-in-research-to-action