| State: Massachusetts | Number of Students: 25,479 |
| School Type: Public School District | Free and Reduced Lunch: 57.2% |
| Grade Level: PK-12 | English Language Learners: 34.2% |
School Context
This model school within a large district serves about 95% low income families. This school is a demonstration site for the district. This school believes that the pathway to student success begins with student engagement and investment in their own learning.
State of Technology
This school is looking to form a streamlined approach to technology integration where there has not been one before. They want to use a math tool in their computer labs to engage students, embolden students to take initiative with their own learning and to track data to inform classroom instruction.
Currently, teachers have been able to use disparate programs to supplement core math curriculum. Some will use one program frequently, while others do not have a strategy in place to use technology. This new tool will set the foundation for the Focused Instructional Coach to use to establish an instructional strategy toward Math that is congruent to what teachers are doing within the classroom.
Tech Needs & Requirements
In order to create a solid strategy to engage, track and support student skills through technology, the school would like to implement a math tool that has the following features. The tool should provide content that is appropriate for students in grade K-6. The tool must allow tagging and alignment to Common Core. The tool should provide students with multiple chances to find a solution to the problem.The tool should provide scaffolding and immediate feedback that helps students work out a solution giving them ways to own their learning. Interface must be engaging with videos and audio examples that illustrate the steps. The tool should provide an explanation that is more than just written word to account for all levels of reading ability. The tool tool should be adaptive and select the best path for the students.
Students will not necessarily be working on the same standard. They should be working independently on areas that they need the most support. Students will be working independently on this tool and should have resources to help them within the tool.
Teachers, during the use of this tool, will remain an integral part to the learning, but will assign the program for 20 minute intervals where they will facilitate and not directly teach. They will also be responsible for understanding and analyzing the student data to inform instruction.
The tool must: be aligned with CCSS; must have active interface with students to not simply click their way through; provide students with engaging and motivating features (i.e. gamify, badges, etc.); provides actionable data that is easy to read. The school is device agnostic provides Chromebooks and Desktop PCs. Students will be in the lab of 30 computers. The tool should provide: formative data; student progress data by school and by class; reports that are easy to understand; data that is precise, but actionable; and ability to group students based on data collected. It would be nice if the tool provided reports and the dashboard made recommendations for what the student should work on next.