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What Works Clearinghouse

U.S. Department of Education
Institute of Education Sciences
  
Intervention: Odyssey Math

Effectiveness

No studies of Odyssey Math that fall within the scope of the Middle School Math review protocol meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. The lack of studies meeting WWC evidence standards means that, at this time, the WWC is unable to draw any conclusions based on research about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of Odyssey Math.

Program Description1

Odyssey Math, published by CompassLearning®, is an interactive, software-based K–8 mathematics curriculum. It includes individualized instructional and assessment tools, as well as an administrative function that allows teachers to track student performance and progress and to generate reports. Lessons employ real-world contexts in which students can apply ideas, tools, and manipulatives, and they allow for individualized assessment and instruction. A range of courses for grades 9–12, such as Algebra I and Geometry, is also available.2

The WWC identified 23 studies of Odyssey Math that were published or released between 1983 and 2008.

Three studies are within the scope of the review and have an eligible design but do not meet WWC evidence standards.

  • Two studies have only one unit of analysis in one or both conditions; thus, measures of effect cannot be attributed solely to the intervention.


  • One study does not establish that the comparison group was comparable to the treatment group prior to the start of the intervention.

Five studies are out of the scope of the review because they have an ineligible study design that does not meet WWC evidence standards, such as having no comparison group.

Fifteen studies are out of the scope of the review, as defined by the Middle School Math protocol, for reasons other than study design, such as not using a sample within the age or grade range specified in the protocol.

1 The descriptive information for this program was obtained from a publicly available source: the program’s website (http://www.compasslearning.com, downloaded December 2008). The WWC requests developers to review the program description sections for accuracy from their perspective. Further verification of the accuracy of the descriptive information for this program is beyond the scope of this review.
2 This review refers to studies of Odyssey Math in middle school or junior high school. Studies of Odyssey Math conducted in elementary school or high school were out of the scope of the Middle School Math protocol.

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