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Engaging High School Math Students and Teachers Through a Proficency-Based Assessment And Reassessment Of Learning Outcomes (PARLO)

March 2010

March 2010

 

In 2010, researchers from 21PSTEM and Villanova received a six-year $2.4 million award from the National Science Foundation to conduct a mixed methods randomized control trial (RCT) of 29 schools to examine whether a proficiency-based assessment program leads to increases in mathematical understanding, achievement, and confidence in secondary students. The study examined the efficacy of an assessment system that emphasizes students attaining proficiency or better on a shared set of Learning Outcomes. If a student does not attain proficiency on a Learning Outcome, he/she will have subsequent opportunities (reassessment) to learn the material that he/she has not yet mastered with the expectation of demonstrating proficiency (or better).

Research questions included: Does PARLO increase in 9th grade students’ achievement and engagement in mathematics? Will teachers’ sustained use of PARLO foster changes in teachers’ conceptions about: (a) how students learn mathematics; and (b) the capacity of students to achieve proficiency in Algebra.

 

Positive results of the PARLO project formed the basis for ongoing work at 21PSTEM to implement formative assessment and re-assessment, including the current Mathematics Empowerment through Standards-Based Grading (ME-SBG) project.

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Main Findings
The PARLO program improved student performance on end-of-course algebra and geometry tests by a statistically significant 0.33 SD (p< .014). This was roughly equivalent to about 36% (for Geometry students) to 45% (for Algebra students) of a year’s learning.

 

Additional Findings

Both qualitative and quantitative data indicated that, while the PARLO program was effective for all groups of students, it was especially effective for students with higher motivation.

 

Teacher interviews suggested that PARLO may have also had positive effects on growth mindsets, mastery goals, autonomy, and relatedness.

 

Contrary to expectations, the PARLO program did not impact students’ value of or expectancies for success in mathematics

 

  Teachers experiencing greater success implementing PARLO embraced a pedagogical position compatible with PARLO’s philosophy about how students learn.
 
  Teachers who have identified a manageable number of Learning Outcomes (LOs) per making period, have shared these LOs with their students, and have made them visible in their classrooms, seem to experience greater buy-in from their students.


  Under PARLO, the ‘learning contract’ between teacher and student was explicit and understood. Teachers clearly defined PARLO to their students and have defined their roles and responsibilities in a proficiency-based classroom.


  PARLO teachers allowed students to work more at their own pace (+0.50 vs. –0.04, p<0.05).


  PARLO teachers were more likely to use real world problems (+0.54 vs. 0.00, p<0.05).


  PARLO teachers were more likely to use formative assessment (+0.93 vs. -0.20, p<0.01)

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Principal Investigator: Dr. Nancy Lawrence
Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Kathleen Krier

Project Manager (emeritus): Ms. Barbara Stankus

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Partners

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael Posner (Villanova University) 

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Funding Source: National Science Foundation​

  • Start Date:  March, 2010

  • Duration:  6 years

  • Total Award:  $2,444,714.00

  • Location:  Regional

  • Fiscal Agent:  21PSTEM

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Publications/Dissemination

 

Kramer, S. L., Posner, M. A., Browman, A. S., Lawrence, N. R., Roem, J., & Krier, K. (2024). The Impacts of a Standards-Based Grading System Emphasizing Formative Assessment, Feedback, and Re-Assessment: A Mixed Methods, Cluster Randomized Control Trial in Ninth Grade Mathematics Classrooms. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2023.2287594

 

Lawrence, N., Krier, K, & Posner, M. (2015, March). Engaging H.S. math students & teachers through a Proficiency-based Assessment and Reassessment System of Learning Outcomes (PARLO) system. Poster presented at the School District of Philadelphia Research, Policy, and Practice Conference. Philadelphia, PA.

 

Lawrence, N., Krier, K, & Posner, M. (2014, March). Collaborating with 9th grade math teachers to implement a Proficiency-based Assessment & Reassessment of Learning Outcomes (PARLO) system. Poster presented at the School District of Philadelphia Research, Policy, and Practice Conference. Philadelphia, PA.

 

Posner, M., Lawrence, N., Krier, K. & Ellis, J. (2014, April). Early results from Proficiency-based Assessment and Reassessment of Learning Outcomes system, an NSF-funded RCT. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.

 

Krier, K. & O’Connell, N. (2013). Assessing what they know: The obsolesce of traditional grading in STEM. Presentation session presented at the annual Scaling STEM Conference, North Carolina New Schools, Raleigh, NC.

 

Lawrence, N.R. (2011, April). The plot thickens: Asking teachers to change their instructional and assessment practices. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.

 

Krier, K. (2011). Proficiency-based Assessment and Reassessment of Learning Outcomes (PARLO): Preliminary Findings. Poster presentation at the Pennsylvania Education Research Association (PERA) conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

 

Krier, K. (2010, October 29). Engaging high school math students and teachers through a Proficiency-based Assessment and Reassessment of Learning Outcomes (PARLO) system. Poster presentation at the Psychology of Mathematics Education – North America (PME-NA) conference, Columbus, Ohio.

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