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Hansen School teachers credit Foursquare routine and coaching for higher fifth‑grade MCAS growth
Summary
Hansen School teachers told the Stoughton School Committee that a four‑part graphic organizer and sustained classroom coaching helped students break down multi‑step word problems; presenters said fifth grade showed notable MCAS open‑response gains and emphasized literacy, small‑group instruction and scaffolds for English learners.
Christine Feeney, introduced as the principal of the Hansen School, and Hansen math staff described a four‑square ("Foursquare") routine to help students solve multi‑step word problems and produce written explanations on MCAS open response items. The routine asks students to identify the situation (operation), model the quantities, write the equation and explain their reasoning using a TTQA (turn the question around) sentence frame, presenters said.
"We broke it down into very small steps," said one presenter, describing daily small‑group lessons and co‑teaching with an instructional coach. The math coach said the team collaborated on shared documents, observed lessons and reflected together to refine the routine and classroom supports.
Presenters pointed to district assessment results they said show the approach helped. According to presenters, fifth grade posted a cited "69% student growth percentage" and a rate of "62% met or exceeded expectations" on MCAS last year; presenters compared that to a cited state figure of 48% in the same band. They said the gains reflected both improved open‑response writing and broader problem‑solving performance.
Committee members asked whether the approach could be replicated across schools. Presenters said yes, stressing the role of instructional coaching, consistent language across grades and differentiation: struggling readers can use partially filled organizers, sentence frames or an audio read‑aloud while teachers scaffold and gradually release responsibility.
Administrators and committee members framed the work as part of a broader district emphasis on literacy and small‑group instruction. Officials said the coaching model and collaboration between coaches and teachers were central to the results, and they noted there are remaining areas for growth, particularly in writing and subgroup proficiency.
The presentation closed with an invitation for committee members to visit classrooms to see the approach in person; presenters said they are continuing the work this year and expanding to other grade levels.
The committee did not take a vote on instructional implementation during the meeting. The district will continue to report outcomes as the program expands.
