Principal Investigator
Kirk Walters – WestEd
Project Description
This study evaluates the impact of NBA Math Hoops, a game-based supplemental math program designed to build students’ fluency with fractions, decimals, and percentages while increasing engagement. The study uses a randomized controlled trial design with middle school students assigned to either participate in the NBA Math Hoops program during a summer program or serve as a comparison group receiving business-as-usual summer learning instruction. Outcomes include math achievement, student engagement, and attitudes toward math, measured through assessments, surveys, and implementation data.
Research Questions
- What is the impact of NBA Math Hoops on students’ math achievement and social-emotional skills?
- To what extent was the NBA Math Hoops program implemented with fidelity (including dosage, adherence, and quality)?
- To what extent do student characteristics moderate the impact of NBA Math Hoops on math and social-emotional outcomes?
- What is the per-pupil cost of implementing the program and its overall cost-effectiveness?
Key Findings
- The program meaningfully improved math learning. Students who participated in NBA Math Hoops scored about 8 percentile points higher in math than peers in typical STEM enrichment—moving roughly from the 50th to the 58th percentile after only about 15 days of instruction.
- The program appears to be a cost-effective learning strategy. Because materials are provided free and training requirements are modest, the program produced measurable math gains for less than $20 per student beyond normal summer programming costs, suggesting strong potential for cost-effective scaling.
- Implementation is feasible for educators. Teachers were able to implement the lessons and gameplay with only a few hours of training, indicating the program can be integrated into summer or out-of-school learning programs without major additional capacity or support.
- Students were highly engaged in the learning experience. Qualitative data suggest students enjoyed the basketball-based gameplay and remained actively involved in mathematical problem-solving, highlighting the potential of well-designed, game-based learning to combine engagement with academic learning.
- SEL results were unexpectedly negative and warrant further research. Students in the program reported slightly lower social-emotional outcomes than those in the comparison group; researchers caution this may reflect measurement or implementation factors and recommend additional research to better understand how game-based math programs influence SEL and how program design could strengthen these outcomes.
Study Citation
McKinney, D., Walters, K., Powell, K., Sabalburo, E., & Morton, C. (2026). The impact of NBA Math Hoops on students’ math achievement: A randomized controlled trial. WestEd.
The Key Findings above were reproduced from the published report and do not necessarily reflect interpretation of Overdeck Family Foundation staff.
