Roles and Responsibilities - Virtual Algebra Study

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES literacyintervention.org

The research team, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Education and experts in the field of education policy research, has designed this study to examine the impact of online Algebra I for eighth graders on student achievement and subsequent course taking. The study combines scientific rigor with an understanding of how schools operate and what schools are currently doing to improve mathematics instruction and performance.

The research team assumes responsibilities designed to protect the participants and ensure that the online Algebra courses are of the highest quality possible. These responsibilities include:

Assuring the confidentiality of participants involved in data collection activities.
Providing monitoring and support to ensure that the online Algebra I courses are implemented properly.
Working closely with district leadership, principals, and teachers to ensure they fully understand how the lottery process will work.
Assigning districts with a site coordinator that will be the point of contact for study related activities.
Complying with thorough IRB (Institutional review board/ethical review) review related to data collection activities to ensure confidentiality for all participants is maintained and the study is conducted according to federally mandated ethical procedures.

The following are some of the responsibilities we ask of participants:

Nationally and in Maine and Vermont specifically, about 20-25% of students are taking Algebra I in eighth grade. Participating schools have been asked to identify a similar proportion of their seventh grade students as ready for Algebra I in eighth grade during the Spring of 2008.
Schools will participate in a lottery to determine which year they will receive the online Algebra I course. During the 2008-2009 school year, half of the eligible schools will receive the online Algebra I course at no cost, and the other half will conduct their regular eighth grade math program. The schools not receiving the online Algebra I course during the 2008-2009 school year will then receive an online Algebra I course during the 2009-2010 school year at no cost.
Schools receiving the online Algebra I course during the 2008-2009 school year will agree to work with the research team and Class.com to plan for implementing the course.

Schools are required to allow students to participate in the online course during regular school hours for approximately 250 minutes per week (about 50 minutes per school day, on average).
That is, the online algebra course is to be the math course for participating students in eighth grade—it is NOT a supplemental program—and students must be given time to participate that is equivalent to the amount of time they would spend in the regular 8th grade math course.
Schools are recommended but not required to offer the course to all of their participating students at the same time and place each school day.

Schools receiving the online Algebra I course in 2008-2009, 2009-2010, or 2010-2011 school years will appoint a proctor/liaison to supervise the participating students during the course. The role of the proctor/liaison is to help students troubleshoot technology problems, proctor assessments, and to serve as an on-site adult, in communication with the online teacher in order to support student success in the course.
Schools agree to pre-arranged observations of eighth grade math instruction in both online algebra and regular eighth grade math classrooms during the 2008-2009 school year (note that only a sample of schools will be visited).
Schools agree to participate in data collection activities, including surveys and student assessments, during the 2008-2009 school year (click HERE for more information about data collection).