DESIGN & SAMPLES
About the Study
Research Questions
Design & Samples
Measures
Study Timeline
To test these research questions, we have randomly assigned schools in Maine and Vermont that do not currently offer one full section of Algebra I to eighth graders to implement an online Algebra I course (the "Virtual Algebra-'08" group) or to implement their usual eighth grade math program (the "Business-as-Usual-'08" group). Schools in the "Business-as-Usual-'08" group will be offered the online course, at no cost, during the 2009-2010 school year. The impact of the online Algebra I course on student outcomes will be measured by comparing student achievement and high school course-taking for students from schools that offered the online course to students during the 2008-2009 school year from schools that did not.
The schools participating in the project are (1) located in Maine and Vermont, (2) serve students in Grade 8, and (3) do not offer one full section of Algebra I for various reasons (e.g., small schools)
The target population of students is eighth graders attending these schools and who are considered to be "ready for algebra."
By "ready for algebra" we mean those students who are considered by their schools (teachers, principals), their parents, and themselves to have sufficient mastery of pre-algebra concepts to take Algebra I. Schools currently make decisions about which students are ready on the basis of teacher perceptions of preparedness, grades in prior math classes up through seventh-grade math, scores on standardized achievement tests, and, in some cases, scores on assessments such as algebra readiness tests (e.g., Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test, Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test). A set of pre-requisite skills can help schools decide which of their rising eighth graders are ready for algebra.