The effects of mathematics curriculum materials and instruction on the achievement and conceptual understanding of sixth-grade students: Comparing traditional and standards-based programs

In the 1980's and 1990's, the release of A Nation at Risk and the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) raised the level of concern about student achievement in mathematics in the U.S. The mathematics education research community responded with the development of standards-based textbooks at all levels, K–12, that provide research-based instructional support for teachers.; In 1998, the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Project 2061 conducted a rigorous analysis of middle grades mathematics textbooks, including four standards-based curriculum materials and nine traditional textbooks. The analysis, based on six basic mathematics learning goals, examined thirteen middle grades textbooks for their support of teachers in using research-based instructional strategies, resulting in high ratings for the standards-based textbooks.; This study, as a pilot to a larger study, examined teacher behavior and fidelity of implementation of two of the highly-rated standards-based textbooks in sixth grade, and student achievement outcomes based on district standardized test data to explore what happens with the standards-based textbooks in the hands of teachers in typical classrooms. Data about teacher background and experience were gathered from interviews and questionnaires. Classroom observations were coded using a specially designed analysis tool. Student test data from the observed classes and from demographically matched schools in the district were analyzed to determine if students in classes using the standards-based textbooks demonstrated better achievement than students in classes using traditional textbooks.; There was no significant difference between the achievement scores of students in the standards-based classrooms and those in traditional classrooms when analyzed by group. When analyzed by school, students in one standards-based school scored about the same as those in matched traditional schools, while students in the second standards-based school posted lower scores than those in all of the other schools. The findings demonstrate that even when highly rated textbooks are implemented with fidelity, student achievement may not surpass that of similar groups of students using low-rated textbooks after one year. A longitudinal study is now in process that builds on this pilot study, focusing on specific learning goals, and including carefully designed pre- and post-tests and an extensive professional development component.