Fifth Grade Math MSA Student Achievement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a six-month before school math program would increase the math achievement of selected fifth graders enrolled in a public elementary school in Maryland. The measurement tool used to assess student achievement was the Math component of the Maryland School Assessment (MSA). This study involved the use of a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design to compare data from March of 2010 test administration (before the intervention was administered) to data from March of 2011 test administration (after the intervention was completed). Data were gathered on an experimental and control group on the MSA for grades four and five Math. An analysis of the data indicates that achievement gains were not significant, though results could be attributable to several intervening factors and threats to validity. Research in the area of elementary math remediation should continue given the continued disagreement regarding best practices needed to improve student achievement in mathematics and the dire consequences for failing to provide remediation and acceleration to struggling elementary math students.