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Fiscal Year 2020 → Question 1
ANSWER:
Fiscal Year 2017 and Fiscal Year 2018 Implementation
DreamBox as a Supplemental Mathematics Teaching Tool
DreamBox Learning is an online learning platform which supports conceptual understanding
of mathematics. It is aligned to Maryland’s College and Career Standards for Mathematics. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 and FY 2018, DreamBox Learning was purchased as a supplemental online diagnostic mathematics teaching tool for six of the seven Title I Focus Schools, which were identified by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) as having the greatest gaps between the highest and lowest performing student groups in mathematics on Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) (one of the Title I Focus Schools was already using iReady which was an approved diagnostic tool). Those schools were Brown Station, Gaithersburg, Jackson Road, Oak View, Rolling Terrace, Sargent Shriver, and Weller Road elementary schools. A site license was purchased for these schools, which allowed every student enrolled in the school to access DreamBox Learning. Implementation included regular, customized professional development facilitated by DreamBox Learning based on effective practices and school needs. Teachers also had access to professional development on demand on the DreamBox Learning website. DreamBox is designed to be integrated into the mathematics instructional block. Therefore, teachers have regular access to student data in DreamBox Learning to monitor student progress and can customize mathematics learning by assigning content for acceleration or intervention, review or preview. Title I Focus Grant Schools monitored grade level growth of students on mathematics content. Math content coaches and teachers assigned specific mathematics content to students to complete to help close knowledge and content gaps and build mathematics conceptual understanding. The schools engaged families in DreamBox Learning during Family Math Nights and supported the use of the program on computers in public libraries, before- and after-care settings, and at home, if available. Schools provided DreamBox Learning Clubs during extended day programs as well. Classrooms also were recognized for the number of hours students were engaged in DreamBox Learning.
Quantitative Results
The Division of Title I and Early Childhood Programs and Services (DTECPS) collected and analyzed data to determine the effectiveness of the program.
FY 2017 Data
All schools experienced increased proficiency in performance when comparing the 2015–2016 PARCC data to 2016–2017 data. Schools on average increased overall proficiency by at least nine percentage points.
FY 2018 Data
Measures of Academic Progress—Mathematics Overall Goal and Growth Trends
The goal of the Title I Focus Grant was for all students to gain at least eight points of growth on the Measures of Academic Progress—Mathematics (MAP-M) Assessment. The Rausch Unit Score (RIT) is the metric used to evaluate student growth. The percentage of students in
Grades 3–5 who gained eight or more RIT points on MAP-M at the end-of-year administration increased or maintained at a consistent level at five of the seven Focus Schools (71 percent). Four of the seven schools increased by five or more percentage points of the total percentage of students in Grades 3–5 making a gain of at least eight points on MAP-M (Brown Station, Gaithersburg, Rolling Terrace, and Weller Road elementary schools). The data suggests that the resources and strategies that were implemented as part of the grant had a positive impact on all student groups’ performance in mathematics as evident from their MAP-M results.
Percentage of Grades 3–5 Students Gaining 8 or More Points of Growth
Fall to Spring MAP-M RIT Scores
End of Year 2016–2017 to 2017–2018
Table 1
Elementary School
2016–2017
2017–2018
Percent Change
Brown Station
55%
63%
+8%
Gaithersburg
70%
78%
Jackson Road
65%
-5%
Oak View
76%
+0%
Rolling Terrace
67%
72%
+7%
Sargent Shriver
81%
75%
-6%
Weller Road
68%
+10%
Average Percent
+2%
FY 2019 Implementation
DreamBox as an Intervention Mathematics Teaching Tool
Beginning in September 2018, DreamBox Learning was made available to all Title I schools to use as an intervention for up to 200 students in their school. MSDE Title I Focus Grant schools continued with their site licenses through January 2019, when most converted to using DreamBox Learning as an intervention for up to 200 students. Two schools—Gaithersburg and Rolling Terrace elementary schools—used other funds to continue their site license through the end of the school year.
Schools were asked to identify a DreamBox Learning “champion” whose role is to support DreamBox implementation at the school level. A total of six training sessions were scheduled for school-based administrators and the DreamBox champion. Since the beginning of the year, data has revealed the following:
DTECPS will continue to provide training/support and monitor usage at each Title I school and also will collaborate with schools to monitor DreamBox data and triangulate the data with other district measures to determine its impact as an intervention tool.
The cost to make DreamBox available in all focus schools and elementary schools is as follows:
Elementary Schools
Cost Per School
Total
47 focus schools
$6,150 elementary site license
$289,050
134 all schools
$824,100
$4,000 (200 individual student licenses)
$188,000
$536,000
Additional Professional Development Training
$4,000 per day onsite and webinar training, based on the needs of each individual school.