The Evidence on Teaching

Academic Interventions for Elementary and Middle School Students With Low Socioeconomic Status: A Meta-Analysis

Dietrichson, J., Bog, M., Filges, T., & Jorgensen, A.-M. K. · 2017

grade Cmeta-analysisindependentreplicated
Sample
101 studies (76% RCTs), OECD/EU
Population
Low-SES elementary/middle-school students.
Design
Key strength: outcomes RESTRICTED to standardized reading/math tests — removes the researcher-designed-measure inflation channel by design.
Key findings
With standardized-test-only outcomes, tutoring is still the strongest intervention component for disadvantaged students (g=0.36) — the most honest efficacy number in the tutoring literature, and it matches the RCT-only meta.
Genetic confound
Low-SES targeting compresses sample SDs somewhat.
Replication notes
Independent convergence with Nickow despite different inclusion rules; cited by Nickow as external validation.
DOI / URL
10.3102/0034654316687036

Effects

OutcomeMetricValueMeasureTimingVsHorizonClass
Tutoring componentg0.36 — largest of ~10 intervention componentsstandardizedend of treatmentbusiness-as-usualend-of-treatmentdomain-skill
Feedback & progress monitoring / cooperative learningg0.32 / 0.22standardizedend of treatmentbusiness-as-usualend-of-treatmentdomain-skill

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Academic Interventions for Elementary and Middle School Students With Low Socioeconomic Status: A Meta-Analysis · The Evidence on Teaching