JERRY CITY — Elmwood officials want to see an increase in fourth grade math success.
Figures supplied by elementary Principal Michelle Tuite at the June 9 board of education meeting showed a
decrease in math skills within fourth-grade students at the end of the year, and what board members
consider an alarmingly low passage rate.
Tuite and her team of teachers tested kindergarten through fourth-grade students’ beginning-of-year
knowledge in reading and math, and their end-of-year knowledge.
The test, the first time it was given at Elmwood, measured each students’ grade-level expected knowledge
in the two subject areas.
In fourth grade, which has 90 students, 56 percent of students met reading level expectations at the
start of the year, and 33 percent met math expectations.
At the end of the year, those numbers were 65 percent and 28 percent, respectively.
Tuite explained the pacing of what was taught students in math was off last year, with teachers going at
their own pace.
The principal said she found out too late that teachers were not getting through the material at an
urgent-enough pace.
She agreed with board President Brian King: Everybody made progress except fourth-grade math.
“This has been an issue in the eight years I’ve been here,” she stated. During that time, the district
has not met its goal in fourth-grade math.
Even after the state changed the way it reports school success two years ago, fourth-grade math has been
the proverbial thorn in the district’s side
Scores to meet the state standards prior to 2013 was 75 percent passage.
For fourth-grade math, Elmwood scored 68 percent in 2011-12, 68 percent in 2010-11 and 61 percent in
2009-10.
Tuite speculated that maybe it was the curriculum or the class of students.
“Somehow we are not as cohesive as we should be.”
She met with her staff Tuesday, and told them no more excuses will be expected.
“We have the goal of the state standards and we have to do that.”
The district is hiring a new fourth-grade teacher, which will keep the number of teachers at that grade
at four plus a special needs teacher.
The experience level of the four teachers last year was 53 years, she added.
“I don’t know how we’re missing the mark.”
Despite the low end of year marks, Tuite pointed out several individual students made remarkable gains,
including one whose knowledge in math grew more than 60 percent.
With the new teacher she hopes to hire this month, she is looking for someone with a concentration in
math. They received 20 applications and interviewed 12. Four will go through the second round of
interviews.
“I will not settle,” she stated.
Currently in the elementary, each classroom is self-contained, with each teacher covering math, reading,
science and other subjects.
Tuite acknowledged a lot of people favor the idea of compartmentalizing subjects.
“I can see that point. But sometimes at fourth grade students aren’t ready for that movement.”
She may consider compartmentalizing math and reading in 2015-16.