Are your students playing chess? Research says they should be

Are your students playing chess?
Research says they should
June 28, 2016
Nashville, TN
2016 National Charter Schools Conference
Maurice Ashley
Sean O’Hanlon
Anna Nicotera, PhD
International Grandmaster
Senior Manager of Chess
Senior Associate
Mike Podgursky, PhD
Professor of Economics
Are your students playing chess?
Research says they should
1.
Introductions
2.
Chess research
3.
The skills students learn by playing
chess
4.
| Mike Podgursky
| Anna Nicotera
| Maurice Ashley
Success Academy chess program
structure and assessment
| Sean O’Hanlon
Chess Research
Systematic research synthesis of impact of chess on student outcomes
• 51 studies of chess
• 24 eligible, coded, and categorized
Mathematics: After-School
Mathematics: In-School
Chess Research
Research synthesis shows evidence of a positive impact of
participation in chess program on student math and
cognitive outcomes
Characteristics of high-quality programs:
• Chess incorporated into students’ weekly schedule
• Chess program developed with specific goals for students
• Content delivered with sound instructional techniques
• Administer chess program for an extended period of time
• High levels of student attendance
Chess Research
New research is working to understand more about the
mechanisms of learning to play chess that explain the
overall positive impact
U.S. Department of Education funded study looking at:
Chess Intervention  Executive Functions  Academic Achievement
Ability to reason
Plan ahead
Multi-task
Switch between tasks
Sustain attention
Delay gratification
Make complex decisions
Metacognition (thinking about
thinking)
The skills students learn by playing chess
Maurice Ashley, International
Grandmaster
• Inducted into the US Chess Hall
of Fame in 2016
• Developed MATCH chess
curriculum, used in U.S.
Department of Education study
• Teaches chess in a large number
of public schools
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
1: Overview of elementary school program structure.
2: Goals by grade.
3: How we assess scholar learning.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
9
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
Basic Structure
• Chess teacher is a staff member at the school
• Grades K-4 get one 45-50 minute chess lesson every week for the duration
of the school year.
• Lesson Launch, 10-12 minutes
• Chess Activity Time, 20-25 minutes
• Exit tickets/ Wrap up, 10 minutes
End of Year Outcomes (the basics)
• Kindergarten: Identify all the pieces, know all the rules and play with the
King, Pawn and Rook.
• First Grade: Know how to play with all the pieces, be able to identify check,
call the squares by name.
• Second Grade: Identify check and the three ways to escape check from any
given position. Explain the difference between checkmate and stalemate.
• Third Grade: Solve Checkmate in one puzzles at a rate of 7/10 or better.
• Fourth Grade: Solve checkmate in two puzzles at a rate of 7/10 or better.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
10
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
1st Grade Assessment Scores Over Time Across the Network
1st Grade was able to increase the number of scholars reaching the goal by over 14%
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
11
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
Tremendous growth in an individual school.
Success Academy Bronx 4 was able to increase the total number of scholars
achieving this goal by over 20%
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
12
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
Comparing Schools to one another.
Helps identify struggling teachers or other potential problems.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
13
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
1st Grade Assessment
• 1st grade assessments
focus on identifying check
and naming the squares.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
14
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
2nd Grade Assessments
• 2nd grade Assessments build on
the knowledge acquired in 1st
grade.
• Encourages students to look for
3 different moves.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
15
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
3rd Grade Assessment
• Starts looking at weather or not
scholars can find checkmate in
one.
• Five patters taught and assessed:
•
•
•
•
•
Ladder Checkmate
Back rank Checkmate
Checkmate with the Queen
Checkmate with the Rook
Helper Mates.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
16
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
4th Grade Assessment
• 4th grade scholars solve matein-two puzzles
• Introduction to retrograde
analysis
• A look at Primary Candidate
moves
• Curriculum focuses on 5
checkmate patterns.
• Back Rank
• Double Check
• Greco’s Mate
• Smothered Mate
• Anastasia’s Mate
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
17
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
4th Grade Assessment Scores Over Time Across the Network
•
We developed a plan after seeing the first set of results:
• Retrograde Analysis
• Normed the thought process of chess
• Working in Small groups
• Targeted questions during launch
• Strategic board visits during chess play.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
18
Rating Growth
Schools with the highest average rating
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
19
Rating Growth
Schools with the highest average rating growth.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
20
Rating Growth
Highest rated scholars at the end of the year.
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
21
SA Chess Program Structure and Assessment
Questions?
© Success Academy Charter Schools 2014
22