Exponential Growth: High Impact Strategies to Improve Mathematics Achievement
Posted 9.30.08
Scope of the Project
During the 2006-07 school year, Prospect Hill Academy Charter School received a significant dissemination grant from the Massachusetts Department of Education for the purpose of sharing some of the practices, structures, and experiences that have contributed to an improvement in mathematics achievement at the Upper School over the past several years. Since the 2002-2003 academic year, when the implementation of some of these strategies first began, PHA student performance on the 10th grade Mathematics MCAS exam has increased annually. On the 2006 10th grade mathematics MCAS test, 94% of PHA students achieved either an Advanced or Proficient score on their first try, with 61% of these performing at the Advanced level, placing the school in ninth place among all districts in the state. In addition, the student subgroups of 42% black, 20% Hispanic, 33% white and 33% low income students achieved at similar levels, as measured by the subgroup composite proficiency index scores. PHA has achieved these successes through a relentless focus on student achievement and the consistent implementation of key instructional strategies, the focus of this dissemination project.
The grant funded dissemination program consisted of several components, including:
- a presentation at the Best Practices Showcase hosted by the Massachusetts Charter School Association,
- the week-long Exponential Growth Summer Institute in which 23 teachers from the Somerville and Randolph school districts participated, and
- the publication of “Exponential Growth: High Impact Strategies to Improve Mathematics Achievement”.
Attached please find the resulting documentation:
- The Best Practices Showcase PowerPoint Presentation
- “Exponential Growth: High Impact Strategies to Improve Mathematics Achievement”, a guidebook that outlines achievement strategies that contributed to PHA’s success in mathematics education.