The Impact of In-School Math Tutoring: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Middle School

Last registered on February 23, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Impact of In-School Math Tutoring: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Middle School
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012858
Initial registration date
January 19, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 19, 2024, 2:23 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
February 23, 2024, 3:32 AM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

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Primary Investigator

Name
Rohen Shah
Affiliation
University of Chicago
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-01-15
End date
2024-05-31
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
I20, J24
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We evaluate the impact of an in-school math tutoring program in a charter middle school in Indiana. The population served by this school is low-income, with 97% receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Students are randomly assigned to receive either 1) No Tutoring, 2) Tutoring two times per week in a two-student group, or 3) Tutoring three times per week in a three-student group. The tutoring cost is the same ($40 per week per student) in both tutoring treatment arms. Our primary hypothesis is that tutoring of either type will improve end-of-year math assessment scores relative to the control condition.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Shah, Rohen. 2024. "The Impact of In-School Math Tutoring: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Middle School." AEA RCT Registry. February 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12858-1.1
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Middle school students will randomly be assigned to receive in-school math tutoring in either groups of 2 or 3. Those receiving tutoring will be pulled from science or history class. Those receiving tutoring in 2-student groups will receive two 30-minute sessions per week, whereas those receiving tutoring in 3-student groups will receive three 30-minute sessions per week.
Intervention Start Date
2024-01-29
Intervention End Date
2024-05-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
MAP assessment scores for mathematics (grades 6, 7, and 8)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
This is a standardized mathematics test given to students in grades 6, 7, and 8 respectively. We will have baseline data of students' scores on this standardized test.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Math class grades
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
End-of-year mathematics class grade

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Of the approximately 300 students at this middle school, 150 will be assigned to receive in-school math tutoring. Our primary hypothesis is whether the average end-of-year MAP math score for the treatment students is higher than that of control students. We will also explore whether there is heterogeneity in the treatment effect based on the nature of tutoring. Specifically, 90 of the 150 treatment students will receive thrice weekly sessions in 3-student groups, whereas the remaining 60 will receive twice-weekly sessions in 2-student groups. The cost per student is the same ($40 per week per student) for both of these conditions, so a higher treatment effect for one type would imply a higher return on investment for that specification of tutoring frequency/group size.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
300
Sample size: planned number of observations
300
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
150
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
0.15 SD MDES
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Chicago - Social and Behavioral Sciences IRB
IRB Approval Date
2024-01-26
IRB Approval Number
IRB24-0128
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

Pre-Analysis Plan

MD5:

SHA1:

Uploaded At: February 23, 2024