CHANDLER, AZ — Math may not be everyone’s favorite subject in school, but the Chandler Unified School District made it a mission to improve scores, and it’s all adding up.
If you look inside Melissa Stanley’s 8th grade algebra class at Santan Junior High, there is not a single student sitting at their desk. Instead, students are standing around whiteboards that are set up all around the classroom.
Stanley’s class uses the newer model called ‘enhanced math practices’ which the school district adopted in the past few years.
“Sometimes when you’re sitting there, you start to zone out and not paying attention as much and you start feeling tired,” 8th grader Abby Roth said of other classes. “But once you’re up and moving and talking to people, it keeps your brain awake and you’re thinking more and doing more.”
Cassie Bohlig, a math academic coach for the district, said she and her colleague Karen Brook worked to find ways to engage students in math and make sure they’re learning it.
“I’ve been in the classroom for 20 years. Students 20 years ago are different thinkers than they are today. Our students today are very tech-savvy. They learn differently so we need to adapt and adjust our teaching styles to meet their needs,” Bohlig said.
The district’s new math practices include the five Es: engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate.
Teachers find opportunities for students to get engaged in the material as opposed to having them sit at their desks and do worksheets or have teachers read to them the lesson. The students instead have to work with their peers in pairs or in groups to finish tasks the teacher assigns.
Students will then have to explain to their peers how they received their answers and show their work. Teachers, like Stanley, will then discuss their work with them and help them understand it better if they need it.
“The kids have to be actively involved. Otherwise, in junior high, they’re going to sit back and put their feet up and be disengaged,” Stanley said.
The district started implementing the new practice in the 2021-22 school year. They’re seeing improvements with an increase in school test scores from between 5-7% in the secondary-level grades.
“We’re seeing a liveliness the kids can explain to us what they’re learning and why they’re learning it. They have an opportunity to explain what they’re doing and critiquing the reasoning of others,” Bohlig said.
With teachers excited and kids engaged in class, the district will continue to build on top of that momentum and work with principals to do that.