Dodd Middle School shifts all students to accelerated math; district reports double‑digit gains

Dodd Middle School leaders told the Cheshire Board of Education on Nov. 3 that a district-wide change to middle-school math instruction — moving all students onto an accelerated pathway and embedding a daily intervention block — has produced substantial gains in student performance.

Marlene (Dodd principal) said the effort began after teachers and administrators listened to students who reported low confidence in math and reviewed achievement data. "They said, 'we are dumb,'" Marlene told the board, summarizing students' earlier feelings about math. "That was a real loud and clear message, and there was a great sense of urgency when we really stopped and listened to our kiddos."

The change included three major elements: adoption of the i-Ready curriculum, de‑leveling classes so every student is in an accelerated track, and creating a daily RAM block (Reading and Math intervention) for tier‑1 support. Tom Toscano, the district math coach who led curriculum work at the middle school, said teachers also adopted Building Thinking Classrooms strategies and used i-Ready diagnostics to target prerequisite skills. "We made the decision that we would give every student the opportunity to take accelerated math," Toscano said.

Special-education practice changes were an explicit component. Marie Broadway, supervisor of special education for grades 7–12, described a shift away from over-scaffolding and grouping all students with IEPs together. Instead, the district spread supports across multiple class sections, reduced in-test prompting, and reoriented IEP goals toward barriers to instruction such as executive functioning and reading comprehension.

Teachers and leaders also invested in sustained professional learning, including an external consultant who worked intensively with staff. The district embedded time for intervention and reteaching into the schedule so that the more rigorous curriculum could be delivered while students received just-in-time support.

District presenters showed results they said support the changes. According to the packet presented to the board, proficiency for all math students rose nearly 11 percentage points compared with the prior year; districtwide growth targets were met at higher rates, and the special-education subgroup showed marked improvement. Toscano highlighted that eighth-grade special-education growth ranked among the top in the state for the measured period.

Board members praised the work and asked questions about sustainability. "This is how we know what we're doing is working and how we're going to continue the work," Toscano said, when asked about next steps.

The presentation combined instructional shifts, schedule redesign and special-education practice changes; the board did not take any formal action on the item.