The Impact of an Inclusive Grades K-2 Early Algebra Intervention Implemented by Classroom Teachers

The importance of algebra in students’ academic success is well-documented and has led to calls for a Grades K-12 approach to teaching and learning algebra. Effective “early” algebra interventions in elementary grades that can develop all students’ algebra readiness for later grades are needed. This study will use an experimental design to test the effectiveness of a Grades K–2 early algebra intervention when implemented in diverse classroom settings by elementary teachers.

The broader impact of the study will be to deepen the role of algebra in elementary grades, provide much-needed curricular support for elementary teachers, and strengthen college and career readiness standards and practices. Importantly, the study will include elementary schools with high percentages of students from underserved communities who traditionally have less access to the kinds of instruction that can lead to success in algebra.

Algebra innovations that are shown to be effective with this population of learners are essential for increasing their access to STEM disciplines. Understanding the K–2 early algebra intervention’s effectiveness and how teachers might implement it with fidelity for diverse learners is critical to improving early childhood STEM learning.

The study will use a cluster randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of a Grades K–2 Early Algebra Learning Progression (K–2 EALP) intervention when taught by elementary teachers in diverse classrooms under normal educational conditions. K-2 EALP is based on a learning progressions approach to curricular design. The study seeks to examine the following questions: (1) Student Achievement: To what extent do students across diverse classrooms who are taught the intervention during regular instruction differ in performance from students who receive only regular instruction on measures of algebra knowledge and general mathematics knowledge? (2) Fidelity of Implementation: What is the fidelity with which teachers implement the intervention, what aspects do they implement with high or low fidelity, and how do variations in teachers’ fidelity of implementation relate to variations in students’ performance?

The 3-year longitudinal study will be implemented across Grades K–2, with randomization at the school level. Student assessment data will be collected using proximal and distal measures of algebraic knowledge and general mathematical knowledge. Hierarchical linear modeling will be used to assess effects of the intervention on student performance and to assess whether the effects vary by student characteristics.

Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected from treatment group teachers through classroom observations, interviews, and surveys to assess fidelity of implementation. Comparison group teaching practices and regular curricula will be analyzed through document analysis and descriptive statistics to understand how early algebra treatment differs between treatment and control schools.

The Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) is an applied research program that seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for funded projects.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.