In the spring of 1998, the
California Department of
Education (CDE) awarded a contract to
WestEd, in
collaboration with the
RAND Corporation and
Management Analysis and Planning, Inc. (MAP), to study
mathematics instruction in California. The study was designed to examine the instructional practices used
in teaching mathematics in grades 4 and 8, the relationship between instructional practices and student
achievement, and the influence of state and local policies on instruction. In addition to instructional practices,
primary focuses of the study included curriculum materials, standards, assessment, professional development,
and structural and student influences on instruction. The findings of the study and implications for policy
are reported in this document. Portions of the document, as described below, can be downloaded in PDF
format.
Front Matter (6 pp.):
Title page, copyright page, table of contents, list of figures
Executive Summary (3 pp.): Summarizes the study's findings and recommendations.
Chapter 1, "Introduction" (2 pp.): Presents the study's major research questions and background, and
outlines the remaining chapters.
Chapter 2, "Methodology" (10 pp.): Describes the study's research methodology and data collection instruments.
Chapter 3, "Instructional Practices and Effectiveness" (20 pp.): Presents and discusses quantitative and
qualitative study findings on correlations between instructional practices and student achievement.
Chapter 4, "Curriculum Materials" (20 pp.): Presents study findings on the extent to which district-adopted
curriculum materials are used by teachers and discusses teachers' concerns about instructional materials.
Chapter 5, "Content Standards" (16 pp.): Presents and discusses study findings on teachers' reactions to
and familiarity with various standards documents, the impact of standards on instruction, and the alignment
of standards with curriculum.
Chapter 6, "Assessment" (12 pp.): Presents and discusses study findings on the impact of the Stanford Achievement
Test, Ninth Edition, Form T (SAT-9) and on perceived problems with this and other assessments.
Chapter 7, "Professional Development" (18 pp.): Presents and discusses study findings on the amount of professional
development teachers reported having received since January 1998, the ways in which teachers report that professional
development enhances their instruction, and the challenges of providing effective professional development on a wide-scale basis.
Chapter 8, "Structural and Student Influences on Instruction" (14 pp.): Presents and discusses study findings on the
influences on instruction that are structural, such as those relating to time and class size, and that are student-related, such
as those concerning student preparation, skill level, behavior, and motivation.
Chapter 9, "Recommendations and Conclusions" (8 pp.): Summarizes the study's primary findings in relation to the research questions,
discusses policy implications, and presents recommendations based on the findings and implications.
References (4 pp.)
Appendix A: RAND Report
Appendix B: Instruments and Protocols:
Survey of Mathematics Instructional Practices in California: 4th Grade Teacher Questionnaire (13 pp.)
Survey of Mathematics Instructional Practices in California: 8th Grade Teacher Questionnaire (13 pp.)
Classroom Observation Protocol: Outline for Qualitative Write-Up (2 pp.)
Interview Protocol: Teachers (3 pp.)
Interview Protocol: Principals (2 pp.)
Interview Protocol: District Curriculum Coordinator/ Math Specialist (3 pp.)
Interview Protocol: Policy Implications (2 pp.)
Survey of Mathematics Instructional Practices in California: 10th Grade Teacher Questionnaire (Pilot Test Version) (13 pp.)
Appendix C: "Profiles of Selected Top-Quartile Classes" (12 pp.)
Appendix D: "Findings from the Grade 10 Exploratory Study" (3 pp.)
Appendix E: "Additional Figures" (5 pp.)