Press Releases

For Immediate Release: 2 September 2008

Report Describes Math Education Practices for Students with Disabilities and Other Struggling Learners

Boston, Mass. — A new report from the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI) addresses the critical need for more research on improving math education for students with disabilities and struggling learners. “Math Education Practices for Students with Disabilities and Other Struggling Learners: Case Studies of Six Schools in Two Northeast and Islands Region States” provides case studies of six New York and Massachusetts schools perceived by education leaders to be exemplary in their math education efforts with students.

“Raising the math achievement of students with disabilities is a strong concern of many school administrators who must meet the demands of No Child Left Behind,” said project director Amy Brodesky of Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), a global nonprofit organization that administers REL-NEI. “We observed the math education practices at six schools identified as exemplary in their efforts to teach math to this subgroup of students. The detailed case studies provide education leaders and policymakers with examples, ideas, and strategies to consider for improving math teaching and learning among all students.”

While the math practices implemented by the six schools are varied, the report describes practices that teachers and administrators at the schools believed to be particularly helpful for students with disabilities and other struggling learners. These include:

• In-house math leaders who play key roles by providing support to students and teachers in both general and special education.
• Use of a variety of in-class math instruction practices and extensive out-of-class math support.
• Frequent benchmark testing and analysis of assessment data to identify struggling learners and inform instruction.
• A positive and collaborative staff culture that provides ongoing in-house professional development.
• Strong and supportive school leaders that empower and retain high-quality staff.

The report also describes several common challenges faced by teachers and administrators across the schools:

• Insufficient staffing for student math support and insufficient time for math instruction.
• Limited math content knowledge among many teachers.
• Lack of high-quality math assessments and interventions for students in lower grades.
• Inherent difficulties of raising achievement levels among students with high and often multiple needs.

REL-NEI researchers conducted two-day site visits during the 2006–2007 school year at six participating schools: three in New York and three in Massachusetts. The schools were selected by a multistep nomination and screening process. The project focused on the elementary school level because these years are critical for building a math foundation.

The researchers collected primary documents, observed classrooms, and spoke with school administrators and staff, including principals, special educators, general educators, and math coaches. School practices in seven areas—classroom math instruction, math supports and interventions, assessment, collaboration, professional development, leadership, and school culture—guided the collection and analysis of information.

The report calls for further research on how the roles of math specialists, schoolwide leadership practices, and different forms of teacher collaboration may impact math learning for students with disabilities and struggling learners. The authors emphasize that the case studies do not provide evidence that allow causal conclusions about whether specific school practices are effective or ineffective. Instead, the report presents lessons learned by teachers and administrators at six schools, which can be explored further for their effectiveness in different contexts.

The report was written by Brodesky, Josephine Louie, Jessica Brett, Li-Ming Yang, and Yvette Tan, all of EDC. It describes limitations to the analyses and datasets as well as ideas for further inquiry. The report is available online.

For more information about this report, contact agaddis@edc.org.

The Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI) is run by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), the American Institutes for Research (AIR), and WestEd’s Learning Innovations program. REL-NEI is one of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories funded by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. REL-NEI provides rigorous research that is relevant to national education priorities, responsive to local needs, and usable for policy and practice. Visit www.edc.org/relnei.

This project has been funded at least in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under Contract Number ED-06-CO-0025. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Education Development Center, Inc.(EDC) is a global nonprofit organization that develops, delivers, and evaluates innovative programs to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development. Celebrating its 50th year, EDC manages more than 300 projects in 35 countries. Visit www.edc.org.