Program Description
Fraction Face-Off! is an approach to teaching fractions to at-risk fourth graders using small group tutoring. Tutors are trained to provide supplementary lessons 35 minutes daily for 36 days over a 12-week period. The tutors are either teachers or paraprofessionals. They follow structured manuals with lesson guides and materials, and receive a week of initial training, followed by two hour-long follow-ups each week. Lessons have a sports theme, and make extensive use of cooperative learning. Tutors introduce concepts, skills, problem-solving strategies, and procedures, and then students work in groups, sharing solutions and helping others. The content emphasizes comparing, ordering, placing fractions on number lines, and equivalencies.
Program Outcomes
Two 12-week studies in Nashville evaluated Fraction Face-Off! in comparison to ordinary teaching without supplemental lessons. Most measures did not qualify for review because they were made by the experimenters. The one exception was a measure composed of 19 items taken from past National Assessment of Educational Progress tests. On this measure, Fraction Face-Off! had an average effect size of +0.51, qualifying it for the ESSA “Strong” category and for a “Solid Outcomes” rating (at least two studies with effect size of at least +0.20).
Staffing Requirements
Paraprofessional or certified tutors to work with small groups
Professional Development/Training
Tutoring is provided through AIR. Visit the Fuchs Tutoring Training Request page to sign-up. You will need to indicate the type of training (e.,g., reading or math), the grade level requested, the number of people to be trained, and your location. You will be contacted by a trainer and can negotiate dates. More information about training can be found here.
Technology
None required