The Campbell Collaboration is a nonprofit organization that promotes evidence-based policymaking through the production of systematic reviews, summaries and syntheses of policy-relevant evidence. Each post in this series includes excerpts from the Campbell Collaboration’s “Plain Language Summaries” in the subject areas of crime & justice, education, and social welfare.
1. Self-management interventions for reducing challenging behaviors among school-age students Authors: Tyler E. Smith, Aaron M. Thompson, and Brandy R. Maynard. Published: March 7, 2022; Subject Area: Education.
Students exhibiting challenging classroom behaviors have difficulties achieving academic success and may indirectly harm the learning of classroom peers. This review provides support for the use of school-based self-management interventions – including self-assessment, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation practices – for children with challenging behaviors.
The review included studies examined self-management interventions for students with challenging classroom behaviors. For inclusion, studies had to identify the use of a self-management intervention, be conducted in a school setting, include school-aged students, assess challenging behavior outcomes, and include one of the following research designs:
Group-design experimental or quasi-experimental studies (n = 4)
Single-case design studies (n = 75)
Self-management interventions significantly and positively impact student classroom behaviors as indicated by moderate effects for both single-case and group-design studies.
Results of single-case design studies additionally indicated that self-management interventions significantly and positively impacted all challenging behaviors assessed (i.e., on-task behavior, prosocial behaviors, disruptive behaviors, and following directions) and academic outcomes (i.e., achievement and work completion).
Single-case effects were also found to be more meaningful for African-American students in comparison to other races, and for students receiving special education services in comparison to students in regular classrooms.
Full Report: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cl2.1223
2. Targeted school-based interventions for improving reading and mathematics for students with or at risk of academic difficulties in Grades K‐6 Authors: Jens Dietrichson, Trine Filges, Julie K. Seerup, Rasmus H. Klokker, Bjørn C. A. Viinholt, Martin Bøg, Misja Eiberg. Published date: April 7, 2021. Subject Area: Education
School-based interventions that target students with, or at risk of, academic difficulties in kindergarten to Grade 6 have positive effects on reading and mathematics. The most effective interventions include peer-assisted instruction and small-group instruction by adults. These have substantial potential to decrease the achievement gap.
Low levels of mathematics and reading skills are associated with a range of negative outcomes in life, including reduced employment and earnings, and poor health. This review examines the impact of a broad range of school-based interventions that specifically target students with or at risk of academic difficulties in Grades K-6. The students in this review either have academic difficulties or are at risk of such difficulties because of their background.
Examples of interventions that are included in the review are: peer-assisted instruction, using financial and non-financial incentives, instruction by adults to small or medium-sized groups of students, monitoring progress, using computer-assisted instruction, and providing coaching to teachers. In total, 607 studies are included in this review. However, only 205 of these were of sufficiently high methodological quality to be included in the analysis.
High quality evidence shows that, on average, school-based interventions aimed at students who are experiencing, or at risk of, academic difficulties do improve reading and mathematics outcomes in the short term. There is evidence of fadeout but positive effects are still reported up to two years after the end of intervention. Only five studies measured intervention effects after more than two years.
Full Report: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cl2.1152
3. Targeted school-based interventions for improving reading and mathematics for students with, or at risk of, academic difficulties in Grades 7 to 12 Authors: Jens Dietrichson, Trine Filges, Rasmus H. Klokker, Bjørn C. A. Viinholt, Martin Bøg, Ulla H. Jensen. Published: April 1, 2020. Subject Area: Education.
School-based interventions targeting students with, or at risk of, academic difficulties in Grades 7-12 have on average positive effects on standardised tests in reading and maths. The most effective interventions have the potential to considerably decrease the gap between at-risk and not-at-risk students. Effects vary substantially between interventions, however, and the evidence for using certain instructional methods or targeting certain domains is weaker.
This Campbell systematic review examines the effects of targeted school-based interventions on standardised tests in reading and maths. The review analyses evidence from 71 studies, 52 of which are randomised controlled trials.
Effects are very similar across reading domains. Interventions have larger effects on standardised tests in maths than on reading tests. Small group instruction has significantly larger effect sizes than computer-assisted instruction and incentive components.
Only seven included studies tested effects more than three months after the end of intervention, and there is therefore little evidence of longer-run effects. The lack of long-run evidence should not be confused with a lack of effectiveness. We simply do not know whether the short-run effects are lasting.
Full Report: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cl2.1081