Newport Elementary, Pennsylvania

Striving to meet the needs of all math students   

Newport Elementary is a small school of 500 students in Perry County, Pennsylvania. Educators were under pressure to address the wide variety of student learning needs. 

At every grade level, students who fell behind, especially in math, would compare themselves to other students. Discouraged, they would fall even further behind, which perpetuated the cycle. 

As a whole, Newport School District educators felt they were not yet preparing students to gain the skills they would need to achieve success. They wanted to bring their classrooms into the 21st century, and that meant more than just buying new technological devices.

Personalized learning in center-based classrooms

Newport School District developed a vision to personalize learning for all students. As part of that vision, Newport Elementary needed a tool to personalize learning for 500 students with a wide variety of achievement levels in math. 

The district had just started using ST Math as an intervention tool in the high school. After seeing how each student could progress in the program at their own speed, to accelerate learning or remediate based on individual needs, and seeing the data that was provided for teachers, the district implemented the program throughout the elementary school. 

“The program itself promotes critical thinking rather than just rote memorization. Students are actively engaged; it’s fun for them."

Educator Bo Templeton took the lead in changing the way math was structured in the classroom, and testing out a new model for other teachers. She designed different centers for math in her classroom, some with ST Math on iPads and others with individual or group work she could navigate between.

“Bo Templeton really embraced the center-based classroom format,” said Mike Smith, Principal of Newport Elementary. “She used the data from ST Math to understand where students were struggling and provide individualized and personalized group instruction.

“The program itself promotes critical thinking rather than just rote memorization. Students are actively engaged; it’s fun for them,” adds Smith.

Students see, track and own their personal growth

Using data from ST Math, educators are able to provide targeted support and ensure that students are being challenged at the optimal level to see growth. 

“I noticed a trend in the data from ST Math that when students started the perimeter and area games they were really struggling,” says Bo Templeton. “This gave me a good opportunity to talk about these topics in class and also bring up similar problems on the smartboard for this group.” 

“ST Math shows students that with persistence and practice they will be better at math."

Now, students are quick to share their progress and success, exclaiming the number of puzzles they completed, Bo Templeton says. Every day, students can see their own progress, based on the number of puzzles they complete as well as larger objectives and overall percentage of mastery. Students are feeling successful in math, which helps them develop the fortitude to face and work through tough challenges.

“ST Math shows students that with persistence and practice they will be better at math,” says Bo Templeton. “The visual aspect and the amount of practice in the program helps students build deeper understanding in a rich way that isn’t forced.”

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