EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF A K-3 MATHEMATICS FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

A pilot study employing a mixed methods design was used to study the effects of a K-3 Mathematics Formative Assessment System on teaching and learning mathematics. Thirty-six grade-level teacher teams serving 1,939 K-3 students were randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group. In Kindergarten, where all teachers implemented one or more of the formative assessment tasks for the single benchmark, the relative strength of the effect size was 0.623, whereas in the three other grade levels, lower implementation levels were associated with lower effect sizes. Teachers' mathematics content knowledge moderated the impact of the system on student outcomes. Further studies that include increasing the intensity of initial professional development and ongoing support for teachers are needed to fully test the effects of the formative assessment system on K-3 mathematics instruction and learning.