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Elementary School Closing Math Gap

STAFF/CLIFF MCBRIDE

Teacher Emily Velez works with a Rashone Mills, 11 & Denzel Washington 10 (r) (cq), in a small breakout group during math class at Temple Terrace Elementary.

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By MICHELE SAGER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 29, 2007

TEMPLE TERRACE - Student Denzel Washington carefully sorted the colorful beads with classmate Rashone Mills.

Teacher Emily Velez pulled the students into the small-group session and gave them the beads to help them practice solving math problems. By using physical objects and talking them through the problem, Velez can reach students whether they learn through aural, visual or tactile instructions.

'In addition to talking them through the problem, they can actually see and touch the math problems,' she said. 'It's not just numbers on a piece of paper.'

It's a practice she often uses to help students who are struggling with aspects of math, and the method is getting results.

The Florida Department of Education recently recognized Temple Terrace Elementary for making large gains in closing the achievement gap between white and Hispanic students in mathematics.

'I can't tell you how thrilled we are by this distinction,' said Principal Mary Frances Ledo. 'The students and staff have worked so hard.'

Although many schools in the district see their test scores go up, there is often a large gap in the performance between white students and those of other races and ethnicities. Federal law aims to close those disparities in scores, known as the achievement gap.

For example, in 2006, 79 percent of white third-graders at Temple Terrace scored at level 3 or above (on a scale of 1 to 5) in mathematics on the FCAT, and 54 percent of Hispanic third-graders scored at level 3 or above. That's a difference of 25 percentage points on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

In 2007, 88 percent of white third-graders scored at level 3 or above in mathematics, and 85 percent of Hispanic third-graders scored at level 3 or above. That's a difference of 3 percentage points.

The school also saw slight decreases in the achievement gap between white and black students.

Velez credits the small-group approach with helping increase student achievement.

'I'm just so thrilled because it shows that with hard work we really show that any student can learn,' she said.

Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.

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