Eric.ed.gov – Evaluation of Instructional Model Applied to Functional Math. Project on Effective Computer Instruction for Effective Special Education, Prince George’s County Public Schools.

This study evaluated an instructional model entitled “Integrating Computer Software into the Functional Mathematics Curriculum: A Diagnostic Approach,” which was intended to prepare middle-school special education students for the Maryland Functional Mathematics Test. The model consisted of eight major components: pretests/posttests, diagnostic evaluations, domain directories, software matrix, software summaries, skill sheets, computer software, and miscellaneous materials. The model was evaluated by comparing math performance and attitudes of students who received instruction based on the model with those of matched control students, and by conducting interviews with teachers using the model. Analysis of scores of 26 experimental and 26 comparison subjects on the 9th-grade Maryland Functional Mathematics Test indicated that 27% of experimental subjects passed the test, while 12% of the comparison students passed. Interviews with 17 teachers indicated that teachers felt that their students benefited from the model. Scores on the attitude test were not correlated with posttest scores, time on the computer, or other factors under consideration except gender. Appendices contain a description of the model components, a data recording form, copies of measurement instruments, a reliability analysis of measurement instruments, and a report of interview responses. (JDD)