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Committee presses district on quality and outcomes for interventions like Bridge to Algebra and Excel tutoring
Summary
Members raised concerns about family experiences with Bridge to Algebra and asked for concrete evidence the interventions produce consistent gains; administration cited growth data showing higher growth among participants and said Bridge to Algebra will be repositioned as supplemental support.
Several School Committee members questioned the quality and implementation of district interventions at the Oct. 21 meeting, focusing on Bridge to Algebra and Excel tutoring.
Member Hudson said she had heard mostly negative family feedback about Bridge to Algebra: "I haven't spoken to a single family that had a really positive experience," she said, asking administration to explain why the program was presented as a success.
Superintendent Murphy acknowledged the anecdotal reports and cited district data: "If we look at the students who participate in Bridge to Algebra, we do see significantly higher growth among the 223 students who participated as compared to the 205 students who didn't," he said, while also noting potential self-selection in participation.
Dr. Heather Francis described a planned change in approach: Bridge to Algebra will be shifted from a replacement model to a supplemental model aligned to curriculum, offering extra exposures for students who need more practice rather than replacing core algebra instruction.
Member Hudson and others asked the district to reach out to families who had negative experiences and to produce clearer evaluation metrics (including N's and effect sizes) to inform future budget and program decisions.
