An intervention program is being implemented to improve math proficiency for TCS Middle School and High School students using Khan Academy to target specific areas. 

Sam Edelstein, a TCS math coach, is working with Lina Marulanda in Middle School and Carlos Mejía in High School to develop the program. While the program is voluntary, students practice during their free time, ideally at home, until they accomplish the skill.

“With the help of Lina and with Carlos, we’ve been excited about the possibility of helping all TCS students in Middle School and High School, achieve and master all the basic foundational math skills,” Edelstein said.

Areas that need to be enhanced are detected based on the combination of the results of a diagnostic evaluation, MAP test results and the final grade of last years’ math class. If a student chooses to enter the program, a commitment letter must be filled so that a specific skill is appointed for them to practice independently in Khan Academy.

“Based on the results of the evaluation, we sent out emails announcing to the students and the parents what area they need to practice in a voluntary way because it’s not an obligation to make part of the program,” Mejía said.

Each skill is intended to be completed in 2 weeks, however, this customized program enables students to work at the pace they consider best for them. For example, a student struggling with fractions and decimals is assigned specific problems to develop that skill. 

“It took me about 2 days and I did 30 minutes of Khan Academy every day. I think that it helped me improve on skills that I didn’t know and it refreshed my mind,” Lucas Thiriez, 8th-grade student who already completed the program, said.

Khan Academy is an international program with the goal of creating tools that will help instruct individuals. The program shows which questions were addressed accurately, when mistakes were made and if clues or videos provided by Khan Academy were utilized. When all activities are completed, the student must complete a small quiz to see if he actually aced the skill.  

“We receive reports from the program, every week and the reports are very detailed because the program is telling us how many minutes or how many hours is this student practicing,” Marulanda said.

531 students were invited to partake in the program, however, Edelstein anticipates that around 250 will actually participate. Edelstein, Marulanda, and Mejía are very optimistic about the program’s outcomes.

“I’m very confident that we are gonna have good results and that this is going to raise the level of math for the whole Columbus School,” Edelstein said.