Does Diagnostic Math Testing Improve Student Learning?

Available to all math teachers in the state, the Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP) offers course-specific assessments that give teachers timely feedback on their math students’ strengths and weaknesses. This report examines San Diego’s use of MDTP test results to guide the placement of students into appropriate classes or summer school. San Diego’s experiment had positive effects and could provide lessons for other districts in the state.

This report was supported with funding from the Donald Bren Foundation. The California Academic Partnership Program also provided support to the authors for related research.