Bryan Marshall
Educators and legislators from across the state visited Madison County on Monday to take a tour of three local middle schools participating in a mathematics pilot program.
The Madison County School District was one of six districts in the state selected in August by the Kentucky Department of Education to participate in a computerized mathematics pilot program.
The goal of the Carnegie Learning Math Software, which was chosen by the district from two available options, is to allow struggling middle school math students to be targeted with differentiated instruction at an unprecedented level.
The Carnegie software, which is being used a Madison Middle, Foley Middle and Clark-Moores Middle, responds to each student’s individual needs for problem-solving strategies and assesses student progress on mastering skills and concepts before diagnostically assigning problems based on the student’s strengths, weaknesses and individual problem-solving approach.
“I’ve never had kids knock on the school before the doors open and ask to come in to do math,” said Madison Middle Principal Brad Winkler. “That is happening. We’ve seen great things happen with this program.”
“As far as I’m concerned, in my 20 years in education, I’ve never seen any one thing that was so overwhelmingly accepted by all those who were involved,” he said. “The highest-performing kids and the lowest-performing kids all love this program. Needless to say, the teachers love it as well.”
Increased funding
During the past legislative session, lawmakers increased funding in the second year of the biennium for a middle school technology-based intervention program.
The goal of the program is to determine if schools can use technology to boost the performance of middle school students who are in jeopardy of falling behind or failing once they reach high school.
State Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, and state Sen. Dan Kelly, R-Springfield, provided guidance to KDE about the use of the resources.
After a brief introduction and a video, the tour participants, which ranged from local and state school board members to members of the Kentucky Department of Education, went to a classroom at the three middle schools to see how students use the program.
“We have no false illusions about what we have as an issue, just like any other school district,” Tommy Floyd, assistant superintendent for instruction for Madison County Schools, said before the tour began. “We know where we are as far as ‘the ugly numbers’ in middle school mathematics. I’m so grateful that the leadership statewide realize that those numbers apply to everybody. We have a long journey to go in Madison County, but we’re having a good time right now working together to try to get there.”
“One Madison Middle special education teacher grabbed me by the arm in December and asked how long it would take to expand Carnegie because his students were experiencing success,” he said. “It became clear to me that students and teachers were excited about the possibilities.”
The program simulates a one-on-one coaching situation between student and tutor and provides opportunities to learn, practice and master new concepts and skills while receiving immediate feedback.
Students engaged
“I think it’s a valuable program for teachers because it allows you to differentiate your instruction,” said Amie Gallion, Foley Middle sixth-grade teacher, who also was recognized with a Distinguished Educator Award by Carnegie Learning and Apple. “It allows students to be engaged at their level all the time. Discipline has reduced dramatically in my classroom because they are engaged.”
“They are able to track their own progress,” she said. “Students can look in the top corner of their screen to see where they are and what skills they are still having trouble with.”
Channing VanWinkle, a Foley Middle sixth-grader, said he has seen his math scores go up about a letter-grade since using the program.
“It’s easier to understand,” he said. “It’s more fun than book work.”
Describing the program as fun, James Byrd, a Clark-Moores eighth-grader said he also likes having the immediate feedback so he can learn what to do during the next problem if he made a mistake.
“You’ve got a glossary where you can look up words you need to know,” he said. “You also have a hint button if you get stuck. It helps you work at your own pace. Some people are slower. Some are faster.”
“From a scale of one to 10 with 10 being the best, I’d say I’m about an eight in math,” Byrd said. “Before the program, I was probably about a six.”
With today’s students so technology-driven, the Carnegie Learning program is a perfect fit, said Cathy Cornett, a Clark-Moores eighth-grade teacher.
“Our students now are so technology-driven and this is excellent use of that,” she said. “It’s the technology that keeps them engaged. Plus, they use real life situations to introduce them to the problems. It’s just an awesome program.”
“Those students who were low achieving are now beginning to have confidence,” Cornett said. “When those gold bars grow on the (program’s) skill-o-meter that gives them success. If nothing else, it has increased their confidence in their mathematic ability. For those accelerating students, we’re not holding them back. They are allowed to work ahead.”
Funding needed
Rep. Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, who went on the tour with fellow legislators Moberly and state Sen. Ed Worley, D-Richmond, said he hoped the program would be funded throughout the state.
“My mom was a math, geometry and algebra teacher,” he said. “So, I kind of grew up with it. To see the wonderful things that can be done now is really exciting. The interactiveness, I think, is what is so good about it.”
“The use of technology is something that we’re still getting used to,” Richards said. “It’s so powerful in its ability to help young people learn. In education, we always say, ‘No pain, no gain.’ Truthfully, if there is a painless way to learn, this is it.”
Members of Carnegie Learning also were on hand to explain the program and answer any questions.
“Algebra was created to make things easier, but we’ve made it hard,” said Joseph Goins, a Berea College graduate who works for Carnegie. “What we’re trying to get back to is why you do it. If we can make that connection, then we teach you the procedure. Too often, all we teach is the procedure and any time it breaks down, you get the wrong answer.”
Steve Fain, regional account manager for Carnegie who went to Kirksville Elementary, said teachers play an important role in making the program a success.
“We feel like Carnegie is a great product, but there is a lot of good teaching that has to go along with it,” he said. “It was obvious that we have a lot of good teachers to support the program’s implementation.”
The school district plans to expand Carnegie Learning next year to three classroom labs for each middle school in each of the three grade levels.
The fifth-graders at the district’s 10 elementary schools also will have the availability of the Bridge to Algebra program and a test group of high school students in Geometry and Algebra II will have limited availability.
Jonathan Thomas of the Kentucky Center for Mathematics at Northern Kentucky University, said research also is being completed to see how effective the program is.
“We’re wrapping the process up now, and we’ll have some time for analysis during the summer,” he said. “We’re also going to incorporate that data with CATS in the fall as part of the study. Hopefully, by fall, we’ll be able to release some conclusions about the program.”
Bryan Marshall can be reached at bmarshall@richmondregister.com or 624-6691.
