Oakesdale math changes land $10,000 state award award

Oakesdale Elementary is one of seven schools in Washington to receive $10,000 for academic achievement. The award came from the state Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The award goes to schools that have successfully met math or reading goals in all student subgroups for the 2011-2012 year.

“It wasn’t totally unexpected,” said Jason Reed, first-year Oakesdale principal and former fifth- and sixth-grade math and language arts teacher. “We’ve been focused on aligning standards schoolwide to raise expectations of student work. Across the school we’ve raised our math scores, but particularly in the elementary school.”

Four years ago, Oakesdale Elementary began a new math curriculum. Teachers have met monthly since to check progress.

The award honors schools and improvement teams that have significantly raised student achievement in mathematics and/or reading through an identifiable strategy. According to the OSPI, these strategies can serve as models to assist other schools.

“Achieving these kinds of results isn’t easy,” State Supt. Randy Dorn said. “I’m proud of the hard work these schools are doing to make sure that every kid is successful.”

Reed said the new math curriculum at Oakesdale starts kids earlier on more advanced concepts.

“It’s teaching kids a lot of the skills at an earlier age, then it spirals the skills,” he said.

Spiraling is to review the concepts over time to make sure the students know them.

According to the OSPI, the $10,000 Title I, Part A, academic achievement award can be used for professional development, team building and teacher planning opportunities for the purpose of furthering the work.

Reed said there are no plans yet on how the Oakesdale award money will be used.