A Program Evaluation of Double-Period Algebra
Jason T. Major · Digital Commons at National Lewis University (National Lewis University) · 2017
Students in ninth grade traditionally take algebra courses, but many students come in lacking foundational skills in mathematics. High schools have tried to solve this problem by introducing double-period algebra courses with sporadic results. During this program evaluation, I interviewed an administrator and a teacher from two different high schools about the methods they used to begin and evaluate the program; I found that student-teacher relationships were the most important factor in the effectiveness of the program. Using quantitative data was a good starting point to determine the students who would benefit from the program and who would be successful, but analyzing the qualitative data—which is often unmeasurable, like student-teacher trust and rapport—was anecdotally the most effective path to predicting success in the program.