Eric.ed.gov – An Urban Family Math Collaborative.

This project measured the impact of a short series of Family Math programs in elementary grades on student and parent attitudes toward mathematics, student performance in mathematics, and teacher behavior using control (1993, n=89; 1994, n=234) and experimental (1993, n=101; 1994, n=211) student comparison groups and supplemented by parent and teacher interviews. Only two of the analyses showed statistical significance: (1) Students in the experimental group who had prior Family Math experience showed higher gains on standardized mathematics performance measures than other groups, and (2) Parents who attended Family Math reported increased involvement with their children’s schools. Parent interviews indicated strongly favorable attitudes toward Family Math and had high praise for the quality of the program, although parent attitude questionnaires showed no significant gains in either parents’ or students’ self-confidence. Teacher interviews indicated enthusiastic support for Family Math and substantial modification of teaching methods, as well as improved understandings about mathematics. Appendices include: outlines of the first meeting, student background and attitude questionnaires, parent questionnaires in both English and Spanish, and parent Family Math evaluation forms. (MKR)