Relationships between Classroom Schedule Types and Performance on the Algebra I Criterion-Referenced Test

Abstract

Public education has options with regard to educational settings and structures. States and school districts may select varying lengths for the school year, the school day, and individual class periods. For example, one option for the length of individual class periods is the schedule type selected to teach mathematics Algebra I classes. In Utah, one measure of students’ achievement is the score on the state's end-of-level criterion-referenced test (CRT) for Algebra I. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student achievement, as indicated by Algebra I CRT scores, and the schedule type used to deliver Algebra I classes. The schedule types compared in this study were: traditional, trimester 3/3, trimester 2/3, and block A/B. The research questions focused on relationships between the schedule types and student scores on Utah's CRT for Algebra I. Data were obtained from the Utah State Office of Education and included the scores for over 40,000 students, from over 300 different schools, who took the identical Algebra I CRT at the end of the same school year. Data were also obtained from each school district to determine the schedule type of each participating student. A multinomial logistic regression analysis and a t-test analysis were conducted to determine relationships between Algebra I CRT scores and schedule types. The results indicated significant differences in student achievement based on the schedule type overall and for individual grade levels. Generally, the earlier the grade level, the higher the CRT score. Within individual grade levels, there were statistically significant and non-significant differences. The schedule types that were generally related to higher Algebra I CRT scores were those where students spent more time in the mathematics classroom and where students’ mathematics classes met daily. The results suggest the value of daily time spent in the mathematics classroom and may assist educators when considering options for school structures in mathematics that foster student achievement.

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