Teachers and administrators at John Adams High School are using a variety of strategies to support students as they work through algebra and other parts of the math curriculum. And the school’s approach offers lessons for districts around the country.
The South Bend, Ind., school assigns students to math classes based on their previous academic experiences in math, as well as on their test scores.
In this EdWeek video, teachers and administrators at the South Bend, Ind., school describe how they pair a traditional algebra course with a separate one called Algebra Lab designed to help students recover more basic skills.
Additionally, the school uses tutoring, co-teaching—in which traditional classroom teachers are assisted by special education teachers—and targeted professional development to create a program in which students and teachers are supported.
A core goal is address and overcome tensions students may feel between “their anxiety and their abilities,” said McNeal Stewart, a math teacher at the school.
After you’ve watched the video, check out EdWeek Senior Staff Writer Sarah Schwartz’s related story on how students’ struggles with foundational math concepts hurt them in middle and high school.
