Math interventions conducted during the 2012-13 school year show many positive gains for students struggling with math concepts.
Math Instructional Coach Terri Schultz worked with Elementary Interventionist Jen Soldner to present results of the 2012-13 math interventions to the school board on Monday, June 24. Jodi Veleke is the middle school/high school interventionist.
At Longfellow Elementary, Tier 3 groups met four days per week for 30 minute sessions. Tier 3 is the highest intervention level. Tier 2 students met three days per week for 30 minute sessions. A total of 41 students from Longfellow Elementary were served by intervention groups last year. Student gains from those groups were better than the national average for students in grades one, two, three, and four.
Schultz stated that 116 students have been referred for math interventions next year, but not all will qualify after testing in the fall.
A total of 130 students in grades five through nine were serviced by interventions over the past school year. Intervention group students in each grade surpassed the national average for growth. Some special education intervention groups grew more than double the national average, while some did not grow nearly as much as the national average.
“The combination of training, double dose interventions and coaching appears to be working, and its effect is moving our students in the right direction,” said Schultz. “Adjustments will be made with some special education students to move them into the regular education intervention. The recommendation would be to continue training for staff and double dose for targeted students in grades 5-10.”
The board went on to approve the following items:
• Teacher resignations of Alicia Malmstadt (MS Special Education) and Rebecca Braun (HS Vocal Music);
• Teacher hires of Ryan Conradt (HS English) and Staci Rubenzer (HS Social Studies-an increase from 50 percent to 80 percent);
• Teacher recall of Dean Muthig (100 percent; Physical Education Teacher);
• Hiring Gary Putnam to a district Information Technology Coordinator position, effective July 1. The new position will be a combination of the Computer Tech II Position, District Webmaster position, and Auditorium Manager position. The salary for this new position is $48,000. Putnam already holds the Computer Tech II position and District Webmaster position;
• Hiring Ryan Conradt to an assistant freshman football coaching position, effective immediately;
• The purchase of a math textbook series for grades 6-8;
• Membership with the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) for the 2013-14 school year (this is an annual item);
• Revised 2012-13 budget with changes to Fund 27;
• The resignation of Jessica Ray, effective immediately; and
• Extracurricular resignations of Nick Yaeger (JV boys basketball), Bill Kinziger (JV girls basketball) and Adam Zuehl (assistant freshman football).
The board’s next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 22, in the middle school IMC.