Hermiston elementary pilots math MTI process at West Park to target number‑sense gaps

West Park Elementary leaders told the Hermiston School District Board of Education on March 10 that a new math multi‑tiered instruction (MTI) pilot is targeting gaps in number sense and computation fluency across elementary grades.

The pilot, presented by West Park principal Ron Juan Rodriguez and instructional staff, uses daily math blocks with a 10‑minute “spiral review,” timed computation fluency checks, and diagnostic assessments to place students in intensive, strategic or on‑level instructional groups. "I think math is almost a little bit bigger deal," Rodriguez said, adding that fluency supports later, more complex math work.

District educators said the pilot was created after noticing pockets of students in fourth and fifth grade lacking automatic number recognition and basic place‑value skills. Reading specialist Sue Ann Fitzgerald described the assessments used in the pilot: one‑minute number identification and next‑number fluency tasks in early grades and timed computation and concepts-and-application assessments in grades two through five. "We learned the biggest thing lacking in our students is number sense," Fitzgerald said, recounting how fall‑to‑winter gains in first grade were substantial when teachers used the targeted assessments and interventions.

Teachers then group students into Instructional Learning Groups (ILGs) — labeled ILG 1 (intensive) to ILG 3/4 — and follow explicit, data‑driven plans for intervention. West Park uses daily quick drills, classroom slides for morning routines, and a visible “math proficiency wall” to celebrate fluency milestones. The presenters said first‑grade winter assessments showed dramatic growth compared with fall baselines.

Brenda Caldwell, West Park instructional coach, told the board that the school selected grades 1 and 4 for the pilot this year so it could test both a primary and an intermediate grade before considering wider rollout. Caldwell said teachers progress‑monitor roughly every six weeks and that the program is currently “a little bit clunky” as staff adjust assessments and data platforms.

The presenters asked the board to treat the program as a pilot: if the data show improved outcomes, administrators plan to consider expanding the MTI approach districtwide. "If we can see that growth in our kids, the plan is to eventually maybe, push it out district wide," Caldwell said.

Board members asked about cross‑curricular alignment and parent resources. One member encouraged using music and other specials to reinforce math concepts; presenters said elementary teams are working to integrate standards across subjects. The pilot team also noted a math night is scheduled to share games and home strategies with families.

The district will continue to collect benchmark data and return to the board with evidence before recommending expansion beyond the pilot grade levels.