Woodlawn Reviewing Math Curriculum

WOODLAWN - The Woodlawn School District is re-evaluating its math curriculum after recent testing among students in both the elementary and high school showed little growth in mastering the subject matter. Woodlawn High School principal T.J. Hill and Woodlawn Elementary Heather Cox told the Woodlawn School Board during its regular monthly meeting Monday night that they have been holding joint meetings between the two schools to address the issue. Both revealed the slow progress being made during the academic update report that is now part of every school board meeting as mandated by the new LEARNS law. Hill said the interim testing in preparation for the new Arkansas Teaching & Learning Assessment System (ATLAS) revealed the lack of growth in math scores. According to the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the ATLAS end-of-year summative assessment will be used to assess all public school students in grades 3-8 in English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, and science. Students will take end of year exams for ELA in grades 9 and 10, and end of course exams for algebra I, geometry, and biology. Hill and Cox both reported that the testing conducted so far has shown growth in ELA and science as well as reading for the elementary. The only subject area where both said they did not see much growth was in math. After the meeting, Hill said if students do no pick up the basics in math at the lower grade levels, it will only make it more difficult for those students to make progress in the higher grade levels since advanced math builds on the skills learned earlioer. He said that was the reason that he and Cox have been meeting together to discuss a math curriculum that would build from one grade level to another. He said that is particularly important for grades 4 through 8, which is generally regarded as the middle school grades. Personnel After meeting in executive ...