One of our guiding principles has always been to base our education programs on the latest research to find the most effective ways to help students learn and thrive.
“We’re here to support student learning as much as we can, and the only way to do that is through self-evaluation and constant evolution,” says Sinclair. “We will never stop following the research to give students the best chance at success.”
Study after study has demonstrated our commitment to efficient, powerful interventions and the results show the consistent effectiveness of our programs. In that spirit, we are thrilled to spotlight some recent key findings from ServeMinnesota!
Compared with 17 Other Programs, Math Corps is the Most Efficient
What we already knew: There are many math tutoring programs across the country, each with its own program design. It’s difficult for school districts to tell which program design is the most effective for students. Accelerate, an organization that funds and supports practices that advance student learning, reviewed 17 tutoring programs to determine their effectiveness and efficiency.
What we learned this year: Accelerate defines “tutoring efficiency” as the number of tutoring hours necessary to improve student learning by one month. Of the 17 programs reviewed, Math Corps is the most efficient, with just 6.1 hours of tutoring necessary to improve student learning by one month. The average number of hours necessary across all programs was 25.9. You can read the study here.
\Reading Corps Is an Effective Tool for English Learners
What we already knew: About 10% of school-age students in the U.S. are English learners, with many states having significantly higher rates. English learners often benefit from strong academic support to build their English language reading skills.
What we learned this year: Studies demonstrate that Reading Corps makes a significant and positive impact on the literacy skills of all students but has a greater impact for English learners. Reading Corps was designed with their needs in mind: the program includes specific instructions recommended for use with English learners, including phonological awareness and use of assessment data. You can read a summary of these studies here.
AmeriCorps is a Pathway to High-Demand Careers
What we already knew: 86% of AmeriCorps members nationally join AmeriCorps to gain experience relevant to a specific career, and we saw those numbers reflected in our first-ever career survey for AmeriCorps members last year. We have several programs that help members attain reduced-cost professional certifications as part of their service, including two new ones for Reading Corps members in Georgia.
What we learned this year: Across AmeriCorps programs, members gained skills specific to their particular service field. Members who earn certifications or licenses through service are twice as likely to have gained employment by the time their service term ended as those in programs without certifications. Certified members also reported a higher annual salary in their post-service employment. Within Ampact’s education programs specifically, three out of five tutors under retirement age plan on going into education full-time after their service!
More Research on the Horizon
The following research projects are planned to conclude in 2025 or later:
- Math Corps K-3 Randomized Control Trial – ServeMinnesota is conducting a randomized control trial for K-3 Math Corps to match similar evidence we’ve established for Reading Corps. Randomized control trials are the gold standard for understanding a programs’ effect on student learning.
- Accelerate Implementation Study – Accelerate will fund an evaluation examining how Math Corps’ impact and implementation differs across diverse regions nationally. (Created in Minnesota, Math Corps’ model is implemented in nine states across the country.)