It's WORKING!!!

This week in math we didn't "flip" as normal because we were reviewing for our 2nd test, and we had two days worth of MEAP testing to contend with.  For those of you not from Michigan, MEAP testing is our state mandated testing that we take every fall, and it is a beast.  As we weren't doing our normal flip, I wasn't sure if I would have much to write about this week, but boy was I wrong!  I spent yesterday grading tests and looking at some of last year's data.

Let me preface this information with the knowledge that this test was, by far, the most difficult for my students last year.  That being said, I decided to compare last year's class scores to this year's scores.  First, I looked at their MAP testing averages (this is another assessment tool our school uses).
Last year's class average:  202
This year's class average:  206
That indicates that this year's class is slightly higher, but not by enough where I would think there would be much of a difference in overall performance.

Here's the exciting news!
Last year's class average on unit 2 - 79% (that is after they had a chance to retest)
This year's class average on unit 2 - 89% (this is without a retest opportunity yet)

I was blown away by the numbers!  To be fair, part of this growth could simply be because I have now taught the subject before (last year was our first year with our new math program), and I know more of what common issues to look for.  However, I can say that without a doubt, being able catch their mistakes early, and work more one-on-one has been a huge factor in their success.  What's even better, the kids are so proud of themselves!