Enhancing student achievement on performance assessments in mathematics

This article is part of a program of iterative research involving students with learning disabilities in reform mathematics classrooms at the intermed iate grade levels. The study reports the findings from a larger, yearlong c ase study focusing on ways to improve problem solving through classwide per formance assessment tasks and ad hoc tutoring for students with learning di sabilities. The purpose of these interventions was to enhance a student's d eeper understanding of mathematics and to develop the kind of strategic kno wledge needed to solve complex problems. A quantitative analysis of the res ults indicate that these two interventions led to demonstrable differences over time and when compared to a limited number of students with learning d isabilities who did not receive this kind of instruction. Qualitative analy ses of student performance show two distinct trends in the improvement of t he students in the intervention group. Findings from this study have implic ations for special educators interested in mathematical problem-solving ins truction, as well as policymakers who are interested in performance assessm ent.