District Administration - February 2011 - (Page 25)

ADVERTISEMENT Language-free math program leads to dramatic gains in Chicago’s South Side ST Math, from the MIND Research Institute, uses a visual approach to teach core concepts Because ST Math is languagevisitor to any of the 27 schools independent, students who read below in Chicago’s Area Thirteen will grade level or whose native language see students busily engaged is not English face no barriers to math in a recently implemented math softinstruction. But the benefits go beyond ware program and bubbling with talk that, according to Smith. “This program about a penguin named JiJi, the prois unique because it actually strengthgram’s endearing mascot. And a look ens the part of the brain that gives us at gains in test scores would reveal spatial temporal reasoning,” he said. that students in these schools, on the “It gives you the ability to think in imcity’s South Side, are setting records ages, to manipulate an object over time for math achievement. and space and to sequence and plan The picture wasn’t always so bright. A scant 15 months ago, at the start of “It gives you the ability to think in things out two, three and four steps ahead of time.” the 2009-10 school year, math scores in In September 2009, Area Thirteen the region had been stagnant or declin- images, to manipulate an object over ing for a decade, according to Shawn time and space, and to sequence and piloted ST Math in grades 3-5; by Sepwas fully implemented Smith, who was then the newly hired plan things out two, three and four tember 2010, itin every school. Smith in grades K-8 Chief Area Officer for Area Thirteen. steps ahead of time.” said the speedy implementation was Fewer than half the region’s 15,000 made possible by a cross-functional students were passing the state’s stanleadership team headed by his depudardized test in math, and less than 10 ties for curriculum and technology. percent were college-ready in math performance. “Initially, teachers were skeptical, as they should be,” said “I knew we had to implement a strategy to turn around those test scores,” Smith said. “One of the things we decided Ann Chavez, Deputy of Curriculum and Instruction. “But once to do was leverage technology to facilitate and accelerate they saw the software and watched kids on the program they were fully convinced. They saw that kids are motivated the achievement.” Smith immediately implemented a program called ST and enjoy the learning process, and how they suddenly start Math, which he had used as a teacher and principal earlier making connections in math.” The students’ enthusiasm for the program quickly transin his career, in California. “There’s a lot of math instructional software out there, but ST Math is far and away quite differ- lated into test score gains. “On nationally norm-referenced tests we outpaced the national average for growth in math ent from everything else,” he said. ST Math is a computer-based supplemental math pro- for our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students,” Smith said. “And for gram that is completely language-independent. Developed growth, we also outpaced our district average, which this by the MIND Research Institute, a non-profit organization in part of the city has not seen in the last 10 years of student California, it is founded on many years of neuroscience and achievement performance.” For students, the jump in test scores from ST Math tells education research. The K-8 program’s visual approach to math instruction only part of the story. “For the first time, many of our kids are is incorporated into self-paced activities that align to state experiencing mathematical success,” Smith said. “That’s not standards and complement any textbook. Students work at been something they’re accustomed to. So it’s building contheir own pace on a series of animated games that have no fidence in kids about how they see themselves as students.” verbal or written instructions; instead, the program is based on a visual, conceptual and problem-solving approach. Ac- For more information about ST Math, please visit www.mindresearch.net. tivities are hosted by JiJi the penguin, who silently indicates if a student has succeeded in a game by confidently crossing a little bridge. There is also an administrative function that allows a principal to monitor students’ progress with the program. A http://www.mindresearch.net http://www.mindresearch.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - February 2011

District Administration - February 2011
Contents
Going Out of Print
From the Editor
News Update
Technology Update
Safety & Security
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Successful Strategies for English Language Learners
Mobile Goes Mainstream
Virtually Possible
Problem/Solution
New Products
Product Focus
Superintendent’s Insights
Crisis Response
Student Counsel

District Administration - February 2011