Adapting Evidence-Based Programs to Improve Math Outcomes
Many students struggle with math, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers need ways to use evidence-based instructional programs to accelerate student learning, addressing both grade level content and material from prior grades.
To address this need, AIR worked with fifth-grade teachers to adapt and study a combined math program designed to strengthen students’ understanding of fractions, a topic covered in Grade 5 and provide targeted support on topics from earlier grades.
About CFI+PALS
In 2022, AIR received funding from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to adapt, evaluate, and prepare to scale CFI+PALS for use in Grade 5 classrooms. This work was part of IES’s Leveraging Evidence to Accelerate Recovery Nationwide (LEARN) Network, which focused on expanding proven programs that could help speed up student learning after pandemic‑related disruptions.
CFI+PALS combines two evidence‑based math programs:
- CFI (Classwide Fraction Intervention) helps students build a deeper understanding of fractions—one of the most challenging and important areas addressed in upper elementary school.
- PALS (Peer‑Assisted Learning Strategies) supports teachers by using structured peer learning and an adaptive framework to match students with partners and math topics across Grades 2–6.
Together, these programs are designed to accelerate math learning by strengthening students’ understanding of fractions and reinforcing math concepts from earlier grades.
AIR trained and supported teachers to use CFI+PALS in their classrooms and studied how the program could be adapted for wider use in schools. The team also conducted a quasi‑experimental study to examine how the adapted program worked in real classroom settings.
What the Study Found
Teacher Feedback
While teachers reported that CFI+PALS helped support student learning, many also found it difficult to use both programs as often as recommended. Balancing CFI+PALS with required curricula and other school initiatives was a challenge.
Based on teacher feedback, AIR made adaptations focused on improving scheduling and making the program fit more smoothly with everyday classroom instruction. Teachers were usually able to complete all CFI lessons as intended, but they used PALS less frequently than expected.
Student Results
Students who participated in CFI+PALS showed improvement in their understanding of fractions over time. However, the study did not find a statistically significant overall impact on math achievement compared with other students.
Additional analyses showed that math achievement improved at a faster rate in schools using CFI+PALS than in comparison schools when looking at periods before and after the pandemic. These findings should be interpreted carefully, since many other factors could have influenced these results.
Future Considerations
While the study has limitations, it suggests that supplemental, evidence‑based programs like CFI+PALS can play a helpful role in supporting student learning. At the same time, the findings highlight an important lesson for schools: using too many programs at once can make it difficult to implement them well and maintain their impact.
