Effects of the AMPPS One-on-One Mathematics Intervention on Students’ Complex Computation, Word-Problem Solving, and Math Self-Concept
AMPPS tutoring lifted word-problem scores slightly but left computation flat, so blend it with targeted fluency or component-skill drills.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Newson et al. (2026) tested the AMPPS program. AMPPS stands for Accelerating Mathematics Performance with Practice Strategies.
They gave one-on-one math lessons to late-elementary students who were struggling. The team used a multiple-baseline design across kids.
What they found
Visual checks showed no clear jump in hard computation skills. Most kids did get a little better at word problems.
Extra number-crunching hinted at overall growth, but the study cannot claim cause.
How this fits with other research
Kully-Martens et al. (2018) also tried one-on-one direct math lessons. Their MILE program gave medium-size gains for kids with FASD. AMPPS produced only weak word-problem gains. The package, not just the format, seems to matter.
LeBlanc et al. (2003) broke word problems into four precurrent steps and got large gains. AMPPS did not teach those steps. Adding the step-wise method might lift AMPPS results.
Enders et al. (2025) used precision-teaching frequency building in the same multiple-baseline style. They saw big, fast jumps in algebra fluency. AMPPS, by contrast, showed flat computation scores. Speed-focused drills could fill the gap.
Why it matters
If you tutor math, do not assume any one-on-one program will work. Pair AMPPS word-problem practice with component-skill drills or frequency building to shore up computation. Track each skill separately so you know which part needs tweaking.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Despite consensus in the mathematics education literature regarding the mutually dependent components of math proficiency, as well as the importance of their development, most elementary-aged students in the United States demonstrate a lack of proficiency in math according to national assessment data. Whole number knowledge, which includes skills in computation and word-problem solving, is understood to be a critical foundation for the development of later math skills. This study used a multiple-baseline experimental design to evaluate the impacts of an evidence-based mathematics intervention, Accelerating Mathematics Performance with Practice Strategies (AMPPS), on third- through fifth-grade students’ skills with complex computation, as well as on their word-problem-solving performance. Furthermore, we evaluated effects on students’ math self-concept. Five students identified to have difficulties in math received AMPPS in a one-on-one, in-person format. The results of the study were mixed. For example, when using visual analyses as our primary analytic method, these analyses did not show robust intervention effects on students’ computation skills but did show at least some improvement for most students’ word-problem-solving skills. Additionally, supplemental analyses comparing student growth to national and school-based norms suggested that all participants seemed to benefit from the intervention, but these analyses were not intended to examine experimental causality. Despite study limitations and a lower than optimal number of AMPPS sessions (dosage) provided to students, the present study offers several directions for future research, as well as possible implications for practitioners regarding intervention selection, intensity, and evaluation. The findings will also be discussed in the context of conducting systematic replication studies, which are essential for understanding the generality of a given phenomenon (e.g., an effect of a school-based intervention) across a wide range of situations and conditions.
Behavioral Sciences, 2026 · doi:10.3390/bs16030432