District unveils math strategic plan to address early skill gaps and add honors pathway
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Summary
Secondary curriculum coordinator Courtney Knight presented a data-driven strategic math plan focused on closing skill gaps identified by ATLAS and CFAs, adding interventions and piloting an honors pathway down to fifth grade, with planned summer professional development in partnership with UCA.
Courtney Knight, secondary curriculum coordinator, presented the district's strategic math plan, which district staff developed after analyzing ATLAS assessments and common formative assessments. Knight said the plan focuses on building conceptual mathematical understanding rather than only procedural fluency and includes targeted interventions, a math coalition of teachers and coaches, and professional development in partnership with the University of Central Arkansas (UCA).
"We identified skill deficits from our district ATLAS assessments and CFAs," Knight said, outlining steps to provide interventions, establish vertical alignment across grades and pilot an honors pathway down to the fifth grade beginning next year. The plan includes checks—interim assessments and common formative assessments—to monitor effectiveness and to allow the math coalition to adjust instruction in real time.
Trustees asked about accountability and how the district will ensure classroom-level and principal-level implementation. Knight and other administrators described a check-act cycle, ongoing coalition meetings, and summer PD for teachers to support implementation.
What this means: The plan attempts to reduce early-year skill gaps that propagate into higher grades by aligning curriculum, strengthening teacher content PD, and adding intervention structures and an honors pathway.
What's next: Staff said they will continue coalition meetings, build a schedule for implementation and return progress reports as interim assessment data become available.
