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Lakeview presentation links fun, peer-led math lessons with improved attendance
Summary
Presenters from Lakeview told the Lakeside Union School District board that targeted classroom strategies — including Cognitive Guided Instruction with SDSU modeling — corresponded with declines in chronic absenteeism and modest gains in math scores, with students saying math now feels like a conversation.
Tiger Romant, a Lakeview presenter, told the Lakeside Union School District board the school has focused this year on chronic absenteeism and mathematics, reporting what he described as notable attendance improvements and early test-score gains. "English learner attendance was at 12% last year. We've dropped it down to 7% chronic absenteeism," he said, and added that the school's overall chronic absenteeism fell from 7% to 4%. Romant described layered math supports — Cognitive Guided Instruction (CGI), small-group work, manipulatives and teacher model lessons — and said Lakeview hosted nine coaching visits and 21 model lessons with specialists from San Diego State University's Center for Research in Math and Science Education to help teachers implement the approach.
Romant said the school set a 10% improvement goal for math scores; he reported a 3% increase to date and framed the work as iterative: "We always go back and go, okay. What do we do different?" He emphasized classroom practice changes and follow-up coaching as the main lever for improvement.
Students who spoke after the presentation described how the classroom approach changed their experience of math. One student said math "feels like a conversation, not a test, not a race," describing partner talk, drawing representations and explaining reasoning to peers as regular classroom routines. A student observer noted that making math games and activities engaging helped classmates want to attend and participate.
Board members thanked Lakeview staff and students for the demonstration and discussed how increased engagement could relate to attendance gains. Trustees and staff voiced interest in sharing successful classroom strategies across sites.
The presentation included a short classroom video demonstrating peer explanation and CGI routines. No formal action accompanied the presentation; board members raised questions and offered thanks before moving on to other agenda items.
