The Talent Development Middle School. An Elective Replacement Approach to Providing Extra Help in Math--The CATAMA Program (Computer- and Team-Assisted Mathematics Acceleration). Report No. 21.

N

29

Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Carnegie Corp. of New York, NY.

R-117-D40005
B-6643

Computer Assisted Instruction; Cooperative Learning; Disadvantaged Youth; Grade 7; Junior High School Students; Junior High Schools; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics Instruction; Middle School Students; Middle Schools; Student Attitudes; Talent; Teaching Methods; Urban Youth

In Talent Development Middle Schools, students needing extra help in mathematics participate in the Computer- and Team-Assisted Mathematics Acceleration (CATAMA) course. CATAMA is an innovative combination of computer-assisted instruction and structured cooperative learning that students receive in addition to their regular math course for about 10 weeks of the school year. This report presents two studies of CATAMA. The first compares growth in math achievement for 96 seventh graders, 48 of whom participated in CATAMA for 10 weeks, and 48 of whom were students of similar prior achievement who attended a comparison school where CATAMA is not offered. The second study reports data from interviews with CATAMA participants (30 fifth graders and 15 seventh graders) and observations of the program in action. Growth in mathematics procedures achievement was about one-half a standard deviation higher for CATAMA participants than for students in the comparison sample. High levels of student engagement and cooperation were observed among participants. Students like being in CATAMA and working with a partner and a computer to strengthen their procedural knowledge and skills. The discussion suggests that CATAMA has many advantages, compared to other approaches for providing extra help in math, on several dimensions, including cost, capacity, and flexibility. (Contains 6 tables and 13 references.) (Author/SLD)

1999

ED423326