The Pine-Richland School District is inviting parents of children in kindergarten through fifth grade to review new material being considered to help boost students’ basic math skills.
New material selected last month for biology classes also is available online for review and comment.
School officials are considering a new supplemental math resource called Freckle Math, which aligns with screening tests administered to all students four times a year to measure their achievement and growth in comparison to their grade-level standards for math and reading, said Kristen Justus, the district’s assistant superintendent of elementary education and curriculum.
“The district began reviewing basic math facts program resources because previous tools were no longer going to be offered,” she said. “Our parents provide great insight into resources as they know how their children access and utilize resources and their children’s strengths and areas of opportunity when it comes to subject matter related to math or whatever subject area being reviewed.”
Because of covid-19 restrictions, the material can only be reviewed online, which also is expected to increase the number of people who participate in the review process.
The material for review includes Fact Practice, Number Facts and Freckle Fact Practice Levels.
Teacher Reporting Samples also are available to review and families can create a student demo account, which is accessed by entering the Class Code 9KWTX3 and the student’s name.
The online review form must be completed by April 13.
Families also can review and provide comment on new material selected for students in biology, academic biology and honors biology, which was evaluated by teachers and administrators during the 2020-21 school year.
Two resources were provided electronically for the community and students to review and a virtual evaluation was conducted from Feb. 22-27.
Based on feedback submitted during the evaluation, a committee selected “Miller & Levine Biology” by Savvas Learning.
The material can be reviewed by logging in with the username PRSDBioStudent and the password Welcome1.
The evaluation form for the biology material must be submitted to the district by April 15.
