Carpinteria Middle School showcases math engagement, art projects and classroom AI to the board

Teachers and students from Carpinteria Middle School presented classroom work and instructional practices at the Oct. 22 board meeting, describing how adaptive software, project‑based lessons and art‑led social‑emotional learning are used to engage students.

Jennifer Foster, math department chair at Carpinteria Middle School, told the board the department is using an adaptive learning platform (referred to in the presentation as ISL) and asks students in grades 6–8 to complete two lessons per week with an 80 percent proficiency target. "We are asking all of our students in sixth 7th and eighth grade to complete two lessons in dream box with a efficiency level or smart score of 80," Foster said, describing how the system supplies practice, videos and automatic feedback and generates teacher reports on student progress.

Foster described classroom strategies such as escape‑room puzzles, pixel art, hands‑on equations and group projects to boost engagement, and said common formative assessments let teachers view performance over time and adjust instruction.

Art teacher Ryan Ethington described project‑based learning, social‑emotional art activities and experiments using AI tools such as Canva and ChatGPT to help students develop prompts and critique their work. He said students had created AI‑informed collages and used digital portfolios (Artsy/AeSonia in the presentation) so parents can see and comment on completed projects.

Student speakers, including Orion, showcased projects and said they enjoyed collaborative activities and the tutoring opportunities that continue after school.

The presentation emphasized that blended tools and tangible projects encourage student engagement and that middle‑school teachers are tracking progress through shared benchmarks. Board members and commenters praised the teachers and students, noted successful student outcomes (including CHS FFA’s Ventura Section chapter‑of‑the‑year award mentioned elsewhere in the meeting), and asked whether economics or personal‑finance examples are being integrated into middle‑school math instruction.

The presentation also included operational details (a cited program cost of about $8,000 for a district license, as stated by a board member referencing the contract) and examples of accommodations and language‑access features in the platforms.

Next steps: board members encouraged continued cross‑grade collaboration and asked staff to consider expansion or cost‑sharing if elementary and high school programs align with middle‑school platforms.