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Looking Beyond a Single Score: Examining Student Mathematical Strengths Using ALEKS Data

ALEKS middle school data were used to compare constructs of math ability. Findings are explained in relation to ability groupings and other teacher practices.

  • Math
  • Supplemental
  • ALEKS
  • Research Foundation
  • Middle School
  • 6th Grade
  • 7th Grade
  • 8th Grade
  • PreK-12
  • Research

Description

Article Abstract

Although popular educational theories regard ability as being intrinsically multidimensional, academic ability is typically measured with a single, overall score. In this paper, we examine data from the adaptive tutoring system ALEKS to compare three metrics that measure different constructs of mathematical ability that vary in dimensionality. We find that rankings on the abilities associated with teacher-created modules show substantially more variation than rankings based on estimates of overall ability. For example, using a multidimensional metric, we find that 80% of students (and more than half of the students with an incoming overall score in the bottom quartile) had above-median rankings on at least one module. We discuss the potential impact of our findings related to instructional practices such as ability grouping and teaching practices that value naming and recognizing student mathematical strengths within the classroom.

Citation

 Lechuga, C. G., Matayoshi, J., & Doroudi, S. (2025). Looking Beyond a Single Score: Examining Student Mathematical Strengths Using ALEKS Data. Educational Assessment