‘What Works’ Reviewers Find No Learning Edge for Leading Math Texts
As the federal What Works Clearinghouse rolls out long-awaited ratings on the effectiveness of math programs for the elementary grades, one trend is becoming clear: Most major commercial textbooks can’t yet muster the proof that they are any better than their competitors at improving student achievement.
Of four reviews published by the online clearinghouse since September, only one elementary school math program has received even a qualified nod from evaluators for its research record.
Yet while publishers and textbook evaluators are concerned about the message those lukewarm effectiveness ratings may send, they also say the ratings may have more to do with the clearinghouse’s strict reporting system than...
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Correction:
This story on bid specifications for a new five-year What Works Clearinghouse contract should have said that the current contract is worth $23.4 million. The story also should have made clear that while the clearinghouse gives its highest ratings to randomized control studies, it also considers other kinds of studies that compare treatment and control groups.
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