MORVEN — Every morning, fourth-graders at North Brooks Elementary School get an extra math boost. Brooks County recently brought the Accelerated Math program to the system. Quitman Elementary School is also using the program. The program cost the school about $8,900 and began around the second week of school.

Similar to the Accelerated Reading, the Accelerated Math program allows students and teachers to tailor math assignments to their specific needs in order to help them improve their math skills, either receiving remediation for skills they haven’t quite mastered or allowing them to tackle future Quality Core Curriculum math skills early. These classes are held in addition to regular math classes. The fifth graders receive this additional instruction twice a week. Two teachers work with the EIP students.

For its inaugural year, all four classes of fourth-graders and Early Intervention Prevention fifth graders are utilizing the program. Other grades may be added next year.

At the beginning of the year, teachers provide each student a list of objectives to master. Through a series of worksheets and tests — some in which students actually have to bubble in their answers on a scantron sheet and a scantron machine that grades the work — the students and teachers can better monitor their progress. Students skills were tested prior to the program and will be tested again upon completion.

“We really feel it’s been a good investment,” Patty Hancock, instructional resource and administrative assistant said. She added that both teachers and students seemed to enjoy the program. “It’s a really good program.”



To contact reporter Marie Arrington, please call 244-3400, ext. 254.