Are your students playing chess? Research says … · Are your students playing chess? Research says they should June 28, 2016 Nashville, TN 2016 National Charter Schools Conference

Are your students playing chess? Research says they should

June 28, 2016

Nashville, TN

2016 National Charter Schools Conference

Maurice AshleyInternational Grandmaster

Sean O’HanlonSenior Manager of Chess

Anna Nicotera, PhDSenior Associate

Mike Podgursky, PhDProfessor of Economics

Are your students playing chess? Research says they should

1. Introductions | Mike Podgursky

2. Chess research | Anna Nicotera

3. The skills students learn by playing

chess | Maurice Ashley

4. 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 reasonPlan aheadMulti-taskSwitch between tasksSustain attention

Delay gratificationMake complex decisionsMetacognition (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

© Success Academy Charter Schools 20149

1: Overview of elementary school program structure.

2: Goals by grade.

3: How we assess scholar learning.



Basic Structure

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• 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.



1st Grade Assessment Scores Over Time Across the Network

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1st Grade was able to increase the number of scholars reaching the goal by over 14%



Tremendous growth in an individual school.

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Success Academy Bronx 4 was able to increase the total number of scholars

achieving this goal by over 20%



Comparing Schools to one another.

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Helps identify struggling teachers or other potential problems.



1st Grade Assessment

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• 1st grade assessments

focus on identifying check

and naming the squares.



2nd Grade Assessments

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• 2nd grade Assessments build on

the knowledge acquired in 1st

grade.

• Encourages students to look for

3 different moves.



3rd Grade Assessment

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• 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.



4th Grade Assessment

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• 4th grade scholars solve mate-

in-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



4th Grade Assessment Scores Over Time Across the Network

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• 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.


Rating Growth

Schools with the highest average rating

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Rating Growth

Schools with the highest average rating growth.

20


Rating Growth

Highest rated scholars at the end of the year.

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Questions?

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Are your students playing chess? Research says … · Are your students playing chess? Research says they should June 28, 2016 Nashville, TN 2016 National Charter Schools Conference

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