MIRAMAR, FL—The halls of Sunset Lakes Elementary School are emblazoned with beautiful, hand-painted murals depicting many eras of our nation’s history. A love of Social Studies is apparent, but under the surface—math rules! The Broward county, Florida school is implementing the First In Math® Online Program in all 34 of it’s second- through fifth-grade classrooms this year.
Left photo, front row: Derek Toledo and Nicole Moto. Second row: Karla Mendez and Peter Bermudez. Back Row: 5th grade teacher Beth Koestler; Principal Dr. Linda McDaniel; Eric Argibay and 5th grade teacher Holly Morales. Right: Part of the colorful Sunset Lakes historical mural.
“A few of our classrooms were introduced to the program three years ago through a free trial and our kids loved it,” says Dr. Linda McDaniel, Principal. “The teachers saw how beneficial it was for our students, and I was able to purchase the program for our third- through fifth-grade grade students last year. This year, our PTSA provided the funding to enable us to include our second grade students as well. First In Math is an easy tool to implement, and the assessment features let us see where are students are.”
Fifth-grade math teacher Beth Koestler correlates classroom instruction with various bonus games on the First In Math site to reinforce skills. “Playing the Passing Time game allows students to practice the calculation of elapsed time, a skill they often struggle with. The Equal Pay game reinforces decimals in standard, expanded and word form, and is another example of a direct correlation to state standards,” explains Koestler. This direct reinforcement of curriculum has resulted in dramatic performance results. “Weekly test scores have improved and as a result, students are more confident and enthusiastic about math,” according to Koestler.
Already a high-performing school, Sunset Lakes experienced increases in the math portion of their fourth grade students’ 2009 FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) scores—including the number of students scoring at Achievement Levels 3 and Above*, which rose from 93% to 96%. Principal McDaniel believes the increases are due in large part to the fact that this group of students had the benefit of participating in the program for two years straight. “We really use the Know and Show assessment tool as we prepare our students for the state test,” explains McDaniel. “I like that I can get an overview of my entire school and see which classrooms are solidifying basic facts and which ones are doing well with the K&S word problems.”
Science coach, Holly Morales, is overseeing the FIM program at Sunset Lakes this year. “Of course math and science go together. Our students need solid math skills to be successful in science class.” Daily monitoring of stickers earned and the awarding of Player of the Day and Player of the Week help to create a challenging and dynamic learning atmosphere. Morales says she is amazed at how quickly the school’s sticker count is rising. In just a few weeks, Sunset Lakes students have solved more than one million math problems.
*Students that score in FCAT Achievement Levels 3, 4, and 5 are considered on grade level, proficient, or advanced.