JAY — Regional School Unit 73 teachers want more training, directors were told Thursday night.

Spruce Mountain Elementary School Title 1 math teacher Nathan Harnden made a presentation on a pilot math program before making his request to the board.

“This has been a learning experience,” he said. “With it comes questions about ways to improve student learning. There is a need for more professional development/training.”

“The desire and willingness by staff to constantly improve student learning experiences is seen throughout the district,” Harnden said. “Having ongoing professional development will help staff reach their goals.”

Last year it became apparent more and more students weren’t meeting the grade level math expectations, he said.

“We needed to do something to better meet the needs of our students,” third grade teacher Ashlee Giroux said. “Everyday Math, the program used for 15 years, wasn’t meeting our kids’ needs. We changed some things around, took out some lessons, added some resources.”

She said the second change was going from direct instruction to a workshop model of teaching, similar to what is used for literacy.

“The biggest component is the small group space,” Giroux said. “We could assess their understanding, provide feedback and offer support immediately which would be beneficial.”

She said the biggest change was grouping the seven classes into two pods, based on what the student needs were.

“We pre-test students before each unit is taught, then the teachers get together to look at the scores,” Giroux said. “Students are grouped based on their needs. Some students should be in a slower paced group. Teachers work closely with them, provide intervention if needed. Some students need to be challenged.

Giroux said students are tested after each unit and the two tests are used to track growth. After each unit the teachers get together to review and plan for the next unit.

“I’m not teaching the same group of kids each day, I’m teaching different levels. As a teacher I’m being challenged,” Giroux said.

Harnden said students are showing increased confidence, more engagement and feelings of success. One student who had struggled with math is pleased with her test scores and is advocating for herself.

Director Joel Pike said he appreciates anything teachers can do to help more students like math.

Superintendent Scott Albert said Everyday Math probably wouldn’t be used in the primary or elementary schools next year.