Parent/Guardian Informational Letter

Your child’s teacher is helping us learn more about a math intervention.
WestEd, a non-profit educational research agency, is partnering with the University of South Florida, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and the ASSISTments Foundation to study a mathematics intervention. The U.S. Department of Education is funding this research study.
What is the research about?
We are looking at the learning impact of mathematical review strategies that are known to boost students’ scores on cumulative exams and high stakes tests. The strategies involve different orderings of mathematics problems that consist of the same practice problems, but do not appear in the same order. Teachers will assign worksheets to your child’s class over the course of the school year. Your child will receive one set of worksheets but no matter which set they receive, they will eventually see all the same math problems as other math classes.
Review Strategies in your child's classroom.
Your child’s teacher will be using the review strategy practice intervention in the Fall of 2023. All students in your child’s class will use the intervention as part of their regular classroom activities.

All participating students will complete several assessments and surveys as part of their normal classroom activities during the study period.
What will my child have to do for the study?
The review strategy intervention will be part of your child’s class experience. We are asking permission to use your child’s practice assessment responses, assessment scores, and survey responses in our research study.  
 
We would also like to collect background information from the district about your child, including gender, ethnicity, English Language Learner status, eligibility for free-or-reduced-price lunch, participation in Individualized Education Program (IEP), and state mathematics test scores. This will help us better understand how children like yours best learn mathematics.
Does my child have to participate in this study?
No. It is completely voluntary. There are no penalties for you or your child if your child is not in the study. Your child’s grades and school status will not be affected. You can also remove your child from the study if you change your mind later.  

If you choose to not have your child in the study, your child’s information will not be used in the research. Your child will still participate in their class as usual and will still use the practice problems as part of their normal classroom activities.
Will our privacy be protected?
Yes. All information we collect about you and your child will be kept private, will only be used for research purposes, and will never be shared outside the study team. We will not be collecting any identifying information (such as address, phone number, or student ID), except your child’s name. After the study is over, we will destroy records that contain personal information about you and your child.
Are there any risks to being in the study?
We do not believe there will be any risks to your child beyond what they experience in their normal school activities. 
Are there any benefits?
The results of the study will help improve mathematics review strategies for children like yours. Additionally, it will help the research field to learn about effective mathematics interventions and how to improve mathematic instruction strategies in classrooms like your child’s. Your child may practice and learn more about mathematics by using the different review strategies.
I have more questions. Who do I contact?
If you have further questions about this study, you may contact Bryan Matlen at bmatlen@wested.org. If you have questions or concerns about your or your child’s rights as a research participant, you may contact the WestEd Institutional Review Board (IRB) at 844-472-5437 or subjects@wested.org.
I do not want my child to participate in the study. What do I do?
If you DO NOT want your child’s information to be used in the study, please fill out the information on the next page and return it to your child’s teacher. If you do not return the next page, your child’s information will be used in the study.

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