The Effects of the Master Ruler on Student Mathmatics Achievement: A Scientific Program Evaluation: conducted by Main Street Academix
"The effect size analyses provide powerful evidence of the effect of The Master Ruler over a relatively short period of time in 4th and 5th grade classrooms. The data suggests that the intervention had a positive overall effect on students' performance in math, but had a slightly more powerful effect on their mathematical processing. It reinforced the results of the other types of analysis and provides support for the conclusion The Master Ruler positively contributed to student achievement in mathematics. In the different analyses, processing effects were found to be statistically significant. The triangulated evidence using a variety of powerful statistical tests, suggest a positive impact of The Master Ruler on students' mathematical learning, especially in the area of higher order and conceptual thinking. We view these higher order learning effects to be an exciting find."
A Summary of the Results of a Six-School, Randomized, Experimental Research study of the Effects of the Master Ruler on the Mathematics Achievement of Fourth and Fifth Grade Students in Sullivan county, Tennessee.
2005
Master Innovations, Inc. invented the Master Ruler measurement system to help make mathematic concepts more concrete and understandable for young learners. In the fall of 2004, Main Street Academix was hired to develop an independent, scientific evaluation of the effects of the Master Ruler on Student learning. MSA designed a six-school trial involving 637 students and 23 teachers in the 4th and 5th grades in East Tennessee to examine the impact of The Master Ruler during the winter and spring of 2005.
The six schools that were chosen to participate in the study were randomly selected from the 16 elementary schools in the districts. All schools were paired based on demographic and academic variables. One school from each pair was randomly assigned to the experimental group and one to the control group. Students from all six schools completed a pre and post-test in mathematics to evaluate student achievement.
The overall results of the study are as follows: Students who used The Master Ruler demonstrated significantly greater increases in overall Mathematic Acheivment and understanding of Mathematical Processes than students who did not use the Master Ruler. Girls and Students who received Special Education services achieved significantly better academic results than their peers who did not have access to the Master Ruler.
Descriptive Results
| |
Experimental |
Control |
| 4th Grade |
|
|
| Overall improved performance |
8.05% |
4.63% |
| Conceptual Understanding |
7.41% |
3.22% |
| Fractions |
22.50% |
19.38% |
| Process |
20.63% |
10.22% |
| |
|
|
| 5th Grade |
|
|
| Overall improved performance |
4.61% |
1.35% |
| Conceptual Understanding |
3.99% |
0.14% |
| Fractions |
20.49% |
11.09% |
| Process |
7.22% |
0.66% |
"The effect size analyses provide powerful evidence of the effect of The Master Ruler over a relatively short period of time in 4th and 5th grade classrooms. The data suggest that the intervention had a positive overall effect on students' performance in math, but had a slightly more powerful effect on their mathematical processing. It reinforced the results of the other types of analysis and provides support for the conclusion The Master Ruler positively contributed to student achievement in mathematics. In the different analyses, processing effects were found to be statistically significant. The triangulated evidence using a variety of powerful statistical tests, suggest a positive impact of The Master Ruler on students' mathematical learning, especially in the area of higher order and conceptual thinking. We view these higher order learning effects to be an exciting find."
Complete study is available on request, click here.
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