The New Jersey Tutoring Corps conducted a double-blind study with Boys and Girls Clubs using Fun Factor materials in small-group tutoring. Four pairs of “sister sites” with similar demographics participated. All the sites tutored scholars in grades K-5 in math, but in each pair of sites, one randomly selected club used Fun Factor materials to augment the tutoring curriculum, while its partner site did not (more details below).
After 6 weeks of tutoring and using Fun Factor, the number of students who tested at or above grade level almost doubled, rising from 27% to 48%. In contrast, among those exposed only to the tutoring curriculum over the same time period, the number of students testing at or above grade level rose from 22% to 29%.
Study details:
- Locations: “Sister sites” are Boys and Girls Club sites that are in close geographic proximity to one another and that serve a demographically similar population of scholars.
- Matching: The participating pairs of sites were located in the following regions of the state: northeastern/urban; northeastern/urban; southern rural; and mid-state/suburban.
- Sample size: The four control sites tutored and assessed a total of 81 scholars. The treatment (Fun Factor) sites tutored and assessed 118 scholars.
- Dosage: Tutoring lasted for six weeks at all participating sites. Scholars were tutored in small groups of 4 for two 1-hour sessions per week.