NSF grant to study grades K-2 early algebra intervention

Published in ConnectED Newsletter - Volume 8 - Issue 1 - September 2024

Mathematics Education Professor Despina Stylianou is one of the members of a team that recently received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant worth over $3M to study the impact of an inclusive grades K-2 early algebra intervention implemented by classroom teachers. The PI is Maria Blanton, from TERC, a non-profit made up of teams of mathematics and science educators and research experts dedicated to innovation and creative problem solving. Other members of the group of investigators include Angela M. Gardiner, from TERC; Barbara Brizuela, from Tufts University, and Rena Stroud, from Merrimack College. The project will be funded by the NSF Discovery Research PreK-12 Program. 

Algebra’s status as a gatekeeper to students’ academic success, particularly among underserved communities, is well-documented and has led to calls for a grades K-12 approach to teaching and learning algebra. Effective “early” algebra interventions in elementary grades that can develop all students’ algebra readiness for later grades are needed to address this challenge. 

The team’s work addresses this need. Building on a previous grades 3-5 study, this study will use an experimental design to test the effectiveness of a grades K-2 early algebra intervention when implemented in diverse classroom settings by elementary teachers. The broader impact of the study will be to deepen the role of algebra in elementary grades, provide much-needed curricular support for elementary teachers, and strengthen college and career readiness standards and practices. Importantly, the study will include elementary schools with high percentages of students from underserved communities who traditionally have less access to the kinds of instruction that can lead to success in algebra. Algebra innovations that are shown to be effective with this population of learners are essential for increasing their access to STEM disciplines. Understanding the K-2 early algebra intervention’s effectiveness and how teachers might implement it with fidelity for diverse learners is critical to improving early childhood STEM learning. The grades K-2 intervention, combined with a previously developed companion grades 3-5 intervention, will provide the first comprehensive approach of its kind shown to be effective in addressing this urgent need in school mathematics.

This study is part of a broader program. The team already completed the study in grades 3-5, and they are using this study to extend to earlier grades. Notably, this is one of very few experimental studies in education. Their earlier work had very positive results: students in grades 3-5 who participated in the intervention outperformed significantly those who did not. Furthermore, two years later (i.e., in grade 7), students had maintained their gains into middle school. By extending this work downwards into kindergarten, they hope for stronger gains and significance.