Voyager Sopris Learning’s TransMath intervention solution has again
been validated for its work with students who lack the foundational
skills necessary for algebra. A recent, large-scale experimental
study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) demonstrated
that TransMath was highly effective in helping struggling and
special education students learn core fraction concepts. These
students were able to employ mathematical practices—to reason
abstractly and quantitatively—when they discussed core concepts
such as the magnitude of fractions.
The study1, “Fractions Intervention for Struggling
5th Grade Students: The Central Role of the Number Line,” was
initially presented last fall at the National Science Foundation
Conference in Washington, DC, and is scheduled to be formally
published soon.
Dr. John Woodward, professor emeritus and past dean of the
University of Puget Sound’s School of Education at Tacoma, Wash.,
is the senior author of TransMath. He and his co-author Mary Stroh
developed TransMath based largely on their intervention research,
which was funded by the US Department of Education’s Office of
Special Education Programs.
According to Dr. Woodward, the program is designed intentionally
to build proficiency in basic skills and core concepts for
struggling students who may be two or more years below grade level,
as well as special education students. TransMath begins by
solidifying a student’s understanding of operations of whole
numbers and concludes with in-depth coverage of pre-algebra and
algebraic topics. Key content and problem-solving standards across
the intermediate and middle grades are addressed in the
program.
“It is gratifying to see the results from the NSF study, which
adds to an increasing wealth of evidence supporting how
TransMath—through its visual representations, attention to the link
between concepts and procedures, as well as how daily problem
solving—can make such an impact with struggling students,” Dr.
Woodward said. “Most math textbooks move too quickly, don’t provide
enough distributed practice, and don’t present the key concepts,
such as magnitude in fractions, in a sustained and explicit
manner.”
The TransMath curriculum was selected for the NSF study, Dr.
Woodward explained, because it provides a balance between teaching
conceptual ideas and procedures for solving fraction problems.
“In fact, typical curricula for remedial and special education
students rarely attend to the day-to-day structure and content of
TransMath,” Dr. Woodward said. “The NSF study demonstrated once
again that struggling and special education students can do more
than just learn procedures in a rote manner. They are clearly
capable of learning and talking about key concepts if given the
appropriate balance of concepts, procedures, problem solving, and
systematic review.”
The recent NSF study focused on fifth graders in 35 classrooms
who were in the 15th to 38th percentile in mathematics. They were
randomly assigned to TransMath or control conditions. Students were
taught in small groups three to four times a week by retired
teachers or math tutors. Each of the 52 lessons for both groups of
students lasted approximately 35 minutes, and the topics included
concepts that underlie fractions, as well as operations on
fractions.
The effects across a range of measures were highly significant,
especially in an area of particular concern to researchers: the
magnitude or relative size of fractions, according to Dr. Woodward.
“The lessons in this level of TransMath relied heavily on
well-chosen visual models that helped students see big ideas being
taught,” he noted.
Studies conducted in the mid-2000s—including Learning
Disabilities Quarterly2 and Journal of Special Education3—showed
similar successful results with TransMath’s impact on struggling
and special education students.
Moreover, TransMath meets the “strong” evidence criteria for
ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act). And the solution has succeeded
in districts such as City School District of New Rochelle (NY),
where growth in math skills has led to growth in students’ class
participation and confidence. Patrice Kentner, special education
teacher in New Rochelle, says TransMath is “great for multisensory
learners and provides pacing to allow students to close the
achievement gap in a timely manner, as well as additional practice
without the issue of cognitive overload for struggling
students.”
For more information about Voyager Sopris Learning, visit
voyagersopris.com. For more information about TransMath, visit
www.voyagersopris.com/math/transmath/overview.
1. Jayanthi, M., & Schumacher, R. (2017). Intervention in
fractions at 5th grade: The central role of the number line. Paper
presented at National Science Foundation Conference: STEM
Education, Learning Disabilities, and the Science of Dyslexia,
Washington, DC.
2. Woodward, J. (2006). Developing automaticity in
multiplication facts: Integrating strategy instruction with timed
practice drills. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 29,
269-289.
3. Woodward, J., & Brown, C. (2006). Meeting the curricular
needs of academically low achieving students in middle grade
mathematics. Journal of Special Education, 40(3), 151-159.
About Voyager Sopris LearningVoyager Sopris
Learning® is an education partner committed to unlocking the full
potential of every teacher and every student. We believe that the
best way to meet and exceed standards in education is to address
the underlying systems of teaching and learning, and to nurture
those systems at their most fundamental levels. Our programs and
services are based on research and classroom evidence, ensuring
they are easy to implement, teacher friendly and effective. We
offer a variety of digital and blended instructional tools,
programs, and professional development, all of which are designed
to help every teacher deliver nothing short of the highest-quality
instruction to every student. Voyager Sopris Learning is a business
unit of Cambium Learning® Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ABCD).
For more information, visit www.voyagersopris.com, or find us on
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About Cambium Learning Group, Inc.Cambium
Learning® Group (Nasdaq: ABCD) is an award-winning educational
technology solutions leader dedicated to helping all students reach
their potential through individualized and differentiated
instruction. Using a research-based, personalized approach, Cambium
Learning Group delivers SaaS resources and instructional products
that engage students and support teachers in fun, positive, safe
and scalable environments. These solutions are provided
through Learning A-Z® (online differentiated instruction for
elementary school reading, writing and science), ExploreLearning®
(online interactive math and science simulations and a math fact
fluency solution) and Voyager Sopris Learning® (blended solutions
that accelerate struggling learners to achieve in literacy and math
and professional development for teachers). We believe that every
student has unlimited potential, that teachers matter, and that
data, instruction, and practice are the keys to success in the
classroom and beyond.
Come learn with us at www.cambiumlearning.com.
Media ContactsVoyager Sopris Learning,
Inc.Ileana Rowe, Senior Vice President of MarketingCell:
503.810.5183 ileana.rowe@voyagersopris.com
Doug ThompsonThompson Drake Public RelationsOffice: 541.322.9345
Cell: 541.419.4471 doug@thompsondrake.com
Investor Contact Cambium Learning Group, Inc.
Barbara Benson, Chief Financial
Officerinvestorrelations@cambiumlearning.com
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