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Elementary principal reports large year‑over‑year gains in early‑grade math after UCLA partnership
Summary
A school presentation to the district board highlighted broad improvements in math risk categories for TK–5 students after professional learning with the UCLA Mathematics Project and classroom practices such as counting collections and use of erasable “white books.”
The principal (name not specified) told the school board that students at the school showed steady, measurable gains in early‑grade math over the school year after a district partnership with the UCLA Mathematics Project and a set of schoolwide instructional practices.
In a presentation during the board's meeting, the principal said kindergarten students moved from nearly 75 percent in the highest‑risk category in the fall to 59 percent in the low‑risk Tier 1 group by spring. “This growth is a testament to our students' persistence and our educators' focus and support,” the principal said.
The presentation outlined grade‑by‑grade shifts using a three‑tier risk framework (Tier 3 high risk, Tier 2 moderate risk, Tier 1 low risk) and a line graph tracking changes from fall to winter to spring. The speaker described similar improvements for first graders (Tier 1 rising from 22 percent to 37 percent by spring) and for upper grades where Tier 1 percentages increased and Tier 3 decreased for several grades.
The principal credited intensive professional learning and coaching with the UCLA Mathematics Project, including lab days, classroom demonstrations, and real‑time coaching. The presentation said the school completed three lab dates with two more scheduled (June 2 and June 9), each involving a small cross‑grade teacher team, a classroom demonstration and immediate coaching.
Instructional practices highlighted in the presentation included classroom use of erasable whiteboards (referred to as “white books”), counting collections as a hands‑on number sense strategy, cross‑grade collaboration, and a plan for a shared counting‑collections materials library. The principal said those practices helped teachers differentiate, increase engagement and let students revise thinking without fear of mistakes.
The presenter acknowledged continued variability within grades and noted winter brought smaller movements before larger spring gains. The presentation concluded with a short celebratory video and a statement that it was the principal's first year in the role. The item was presented as information; no board action on the presentation itself was taken at the meeting.
