ABSTRACT
The complete K-5 Math Trailblazers curriculum has been available only since the summer of 1997. This chapter reports data from several completed investigations with Chicago-area schools and also reports both quantitative and qualitative data regarding student outcomes. It first discusses two studies of student performance on two different standardized tests. The chapter discusses three case studies that focus on specific schools and that provide comparative data with schools not using Math Trailblazers: two provide details about the impact of Math Trailblazers on student achievement in urban schools; and the third provides student achievement data on an open-ended assessment. In order to provide a balanced view of student performance in Math Trailblazers classrooms, the chapter concludes with qualitative data taken from a 1-year case study of a school’s implementation of Math Trailblazers. A specific classroom episode is presented to provide expanded insights into the complex social interactions that occur in classrooms using a reform curriculum.
