Intervention Scale-Up Project

2004-2005

Project personnel focused on reviewing literature in the field of early mathematics intervention. At that time, little literature for students in grades K-2 was available. Most information focused on the history of mathematics and mathematics difficulties.

In addition to reviewing pertinent literature and obtaining the perspective of those who work in elementary schools, project personnel conducted three focus groups with classroom teachers and district specialists. The purpose of the focus groups was to determine where struggling students needed help in mathematics and how to help them build skills and experience success. The focus group meetings were transcribed, coded, and analyzed. The data from focus groups and literature review were the basis for building early mathematics assessments and intervention lessons.

The principal investigator of the project contacted a local school district about working with an elementary school within kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade classrooms. Project team members administered the first version of the early mathematics assessment measure to two classes per grade level. In the spring of 2005, team members started interventions with small groups of students whom teachers and assessment measures identified as having mathematics difficulties.

2005-2006

Project staff piloted intervention lessons and forms of the assessment measures in a local elementary school during the 2005 summer school session. In the fall of 2005, the assessments were administered; the results were used to identify students falling below average on foundation mathematics skills. Intervention lessons were developed and piloted with 20 kindergarten students, 40 first-grade students, and 40 second-grade students. During the summer of 2006, intervention lessons were further developed and refined.

2006-2007

Assessment and intervention continued at two elementary schools in a local school district. Project staff continued developing and improving the intervention lessons.

2007-2008

The project focused on developing and ensuring the technical adequacy (reliability and validity) of assessment measures for early identification of struggling students and for monitoring progress in early mathematics instruction. The 3-Tier Mathematics Model project included the creation and field-testing of early mathematics assessment instruments, the Texas Early Mathematics Inventories-Progress Monitoring (TEMI-PM) and the Texas Early Mathematics Inventories-Outcome (TEMI-O), for kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2. These measures were validated in a statewide assessment scale-up project in more than 90 schools in Texas.

The project also focused on the development and validation of intervention booster lessons for at-risk students in kindergarten through second grade. Booster lessons to support Tier II secondary intervention were developed and field-tested in five Texas school districts.

2008-2009

Teachers across Texas implemented early mathematics Tier II components, including assessment, progress monitoring, and intervention lessons. Two teachers from each grade level, kindergarten through second grade, participated in the intervention and assessment scale-up-one as the intervention teacher and the other as the comparison teacher-representing 22 schools in 15 ESC regions.

2009-2010

Fifteen schools are participating in the implementation of assessment, progress monitoring, and Tier II mathematics intervention lessons. In each school, two teachers from each grade level, K-2, are participating. One teacher from each grade level was randomly selected to serve as an intervention teacher; the other serves as a comparison teacher.

In addition, three Texas elementary schools were selected for the Focus on Mathematics project. The schools were selected because they have been successfully implementing Tier II of the 3-Tier Mathematics Intervention Scale-Up project. The three schools will continue implementation this school year with students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The purpose of working with these schools is to learn more about how campuses implement a response to intervention (RTI) 3-Tier Mathematics model-including assessment, progress monitoring, and intervention-so that “lessons learned” can be shared with other campuses statewide. Focus on Mathematics schools will be available for other schools to visit to see model practices.

Bilingual Scale-Up Project

2008-2009

Teachers in Pflugerville Independent School District piloted the implementation of the Spanish Tier II mathematics components, including assessment, intervention, and progress monitoring. Two teachers from each grade level, K-2, participated.

The Spanish Assessment Scale-Up was implemented in 20 schools across multiple education service centers (ESCs) in Texas.

2009-2010

The Bilingual Tier II Intervention Scale-Up is being implemented in Spanish at six schools in four ESC regions. Components include assessment, mathematics intervention, and progress monitoring. In each school, two teachers from each grade level, K-2, are participating. One teacher from each grade level was randomly selected to serve as an intervention teacher; the other serves as a comparison teacher.