‘Trials and Tribulations’An RCT with the DCSF

Carole Torgerson, Andy Wiggins and Hannah Ainsworth

3 parts – Context, Design, Issues

Part 1….

– Who’s who– Policy Background– What is ECC– Key Research questions– Why an RCT– Some of our tribulations– and then over to Hannah……

ECC Evaluation - Who’s who

Carole Torgerson

Hannah Ainsworth

Andy Wiggins

Patrick Barmby

and…

Policy Background

Context - an overall improvement in primary maths over the last 10 years, however the level of attainment for the

bottom 5% has not improved at all.

Every Child Counts seeks to address the needs of this ‘bottom’ 5%.

ECC – What is it?

• One to One (or Small Group 2 or 3) programme each day for a term

• By experienced trained teachers

• Accreditation and Support system

• Initial Diagnosis - followed by….

• A targeted and highly structured programme

Key Research Questions

• Primary outcome • Level of initial impact of the one to one and

small group models

• Secondary outcomes include• Which children is it most effective for• Economic evaluation• Long term impact

So why an RCT?

• Isolate cause and effect

• Minimise bias

• Detect small effects

.…but a bit trickyR

CT C

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Social Policies

Fields of Wheat

Bottles of Pills

Every Child Counts

Some of our ‘tribulations’….

• Teacher knows best….

• Enthusiastic adopters….

• The burden on schools….

• Fair to all….

• Programme inherent measures….

• Natures course….

• Long term.…

Research design and working with the schools

Hannah Ainsworth

IEE

MethodsTrial 1 How effective is Numbers Count

compared with normal classroom teaching

Trial 2: Pairs Is there a difference in effectiveness when Numbers Count is delivered to an individual child and when Numbers Count is adapted and is delivered to children taught in pairs?

Trial 2: Triplets Is there a difference in effectiveness when Numbers Count is delivered to an individual child and when Numbers Count is adapted and is delivered to children taught in triplets?

Trial 1Has been designed to ensure that all children who

would normally receive Numbers Count will do so.

12 children selected by the School are randomly allocated into 3 groups:

• Group1 (4 children) will receive the intervention in the Autumn term

• Group 2 (4 children) will receive the intervention in the Spring term

• Group 3 (4 children) will receive the intervention in the Summer term

Trial 2: Pairs

12, 13 or 14 children selected by the School are randomly allocated into 5 groups:

• Group 1 (1 child) will receive the intervention individually in the Autumn term

• Group 2 (4 children) will receive the intervention in pairs in the Autumn term

• Group 3 (1 child) will receive the intervention individually in the Spring term

• Group 4 (4 children) will receive the intervention in pairs in the Spring term

• Group 5 (2, 3 or 4 children) will receive the intervention individually in the Summer term

Trial 2: Triplets16, 17 or 18 children selected by the School are randomly allocated into 6

groups:

• Group 1 (1 child) will receive the intervention individually in the Autumn term

• Group 2 (6 children) will receive the intervention in triplets in the Autumn term

• Group 3 (1 children) will receive the intervention individually in the Spring term

• Group 4 (6 children) will receive the intervention in triplets in the Spring term

• Group 5 (2, 3 or 4 children) will receive the intervention individually in the Summer term

• Group 6 (4 children) allocated as ‘funded by Barclays’ – will receive Numbers Count individually whenever the school

decides – after random allocation no longer in the trial.

Discussion