How One High School Is Phasing Out Pre-Algebra Successfully - And Giving All Students Access To Grade Level Content

Sometimes it’s nice to pull back the curtain and share a bit more about my work as a math consultant, and really a math intervention specialist, for the schools and districts I support across the US. This post contains a case study for you to view to get ideas about how to use a math consultant or get to know me and my services more to determine if I might be the right fit for your school or district. 

Meet Rapid City Area Schools

Rapid City Area Schools and more specifically Stevens High School is located in Rapid City, South Dakota. According to data pulled from U.S. News & World Report, 46% of students score proficient on Smarter Balanced assessments each year. However, they are getting rid of the pre-Algebra course in the 2025-26 school year and proactively sought assistance for their teachers to prepare for that shift in the 2024-25 school year.

Math Intervention Specialist Goals

District and school administration had two main goals with our initial scope of work.

1. A positive shift in teacher mindsets about students who struggle and what all students can achieve in mathematics as measured by pre and post support surveys.

2. Teachers feel supported as they plan for the removal of the pre-Algebra high school course in 2025-26, having an understanding of how to provide the Just In Time interventions students may need to achieve success in grade level math/Algebra 1 (when they typically would have been placed in pre-Algebra, but now they will eliminate pre-Algebra).

Scope of Work - Eliminate Pre-Algebra

• Two 2 hour virtual professional development sessions with Stevens High School Math Teachers and Rapid City Alternative Academy Math Teachers.

• Asynchronous Math Wars Method® workshop access.

Results

We achieved both goals within two months of working together at the very end of 2024-25.

1. 5% increase in teachers' belief that all students can learn grade level math. While it’s small, growth is growth and they are headed in the right direction!

2. 100% of teachers plan to use strategies from our PD sessions in their classrooms. A huge win, especially when support is virtual.

3. Teachers feel prepared for Just In Time Interventions. When asked, “I have strategies, ideas, and resources to implement a Just In Time approach to Algebra 1 next year” the average score was 4.5 on a scale of 1-5. This is huge! Teachers must feel confident about a new initiative (getting rid of pre-Algebra) before they can confidently believe in it in front of students and get the intended results.

Additional Results

• 36% increase in teachers feeling they have tools to engage their students who struggle 

• 20% increase in teachers feeling they have the tools to build an effective classroom community

Further Work

We are planning for one on one support for teachers for the 2025-26 school year and I can’t wait to continue this important work of giving grade level access to all students in high school!

How About You?

Could your whole department or district use this kind of support? Contact me today or download my services menu and let’s come up with a customized plan for your unique needs.