Methodological considerations in the evaluation of differential components of supplementary education programs

Details procedures to be followed in analyzing multiple program options and time allocation for significant effects. A multiple-option supplementary education program was evaluated by the application of multiple regression analysis as a general data analytic system. One analysis reports the relative merits of supplementary education components when more than one type of program was operated by the same school system and when the criteria for evaluation were end-of-year achievement tests. A second evaluation demonstrates that an analysis of program input variables such as aide time allocation did produce significant improvement in achievement when an analysis of the differential effect of the input variables was considered. An incidental outcome of this study was that significant improvement in reading and mathematics achievement for children in supplementary education programs was more likely to occur with second- and third-grade pupils than with thise at later grade levels.