Announcing the 2024 Gold Medal Honorees

27 GOLD MEDAL SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS

The overarching theme of Gold Medal nominations this year has been progress. Students are discovering where the gaps in their knowledge are and filling them for a solid math foundation that allows them to feel more confident and engaged. The stories of students teaching each other, overcoming struggles, and reaching beyond their limits have been inspiring! Our Gold Medal educators and students have maximized their Ascend Math usage. Together, they have completed 69,301 objective lessons and grown 1800.6 levels!

Adams Junior High
Fulshear, TX

Minaz Sundrani

SPED students at Adams Junior High in Katy ISD have been using Ascend Math on average two hours every week. More than 50% of the students using Ascend have grown at least 2 grade levels this school year!

Bailly STEM Academy
Gary, IN

Sandra Gries & Malline Morris

The challenges faced by educators at Bailly STEM Academy in Gary are numerous. More than 60% of students had skill gaps placing them 3 or more levels below grade level in math. They have been utilizing Ascend Math to help students bridge these gaps. Their students are making great strides towards reaching their grade level goals!

Big Hollow Middle School
Ingleside, IL

Erin Peska

Students in the RTI class at Big Hollow Middle School have previously struggled with showing math growth on IAR or on MAP tests. The district implemented Ascend Math at the beginning of the school year leading to students showing impressive growth on their Fall to Winter MAP tests. Their fifth grade students more than doubled their expected growth. Previously the school had hired extra staff to address the interventions with less success.

East Omak Elementary
Omak, WA

Jack Hamilton

At East Omak Elementary, Jack Hamilton is proud of the hard work students and educators have put in this school year. A combination of their hard work and Ascend Math have led to tremendous growth. From September through March, 70% of students have grown at least one grade level and more than 9% have grown two or more levels.

Impact Academy - Lutherwood
Indianapolis, IN

Erika Ruiz

Resident students at Lutherwood Academy have shown incredible growth in their math learning this school year. Using Ascend to identify each individual's areas of need allows their teacher to provide one-on-one instruction.

Impact Academy 3: Resource
Indianapolis, IN

Beverly White & Ron
                       Scurry

The program at Impact Academy 3: Resource focuses on students who have experienced traumas that have led to an inability to focus on their learning. Students are often behind in their mathematical understanding by 3 to 5 grade levels. Encouraging their students to stay logged in to Ascend Math for at least one hour every week, has resulted in 43.6% of students exhibiting 2 grade levels of growth and 34.5% of students gaining 1 grade level of growth in 6 months.

Keystone Learning Services
Ozawkie, KS

KayLyn Walker

The students in KayLyn Walker's class at Keystone Learning have been dedicated Ascend Math users this year. Most students use the program for an average of 3 hours a week. The differentiated approach of Ascend Math to fit individual needs has led to impressive progress this school. Over 50% of students have already grown by one grade level or more.

McDonald Junior High
Katy, TX

Shannon Souter

McDonald Junior High uses Ascend with Special Education students who are 2 or more years behind their enrolled grade level in math. Ascend truly helps bridge the gaps in student learning, engaging them with easy-to-follow guided notes, as well as student friendly video lessons. Students made an average gain of 1.6 years in only 7 months of learning with Ascend, making them finally feel excited and confident about math!

Methacton High School
Eagleville, PA

Jason Pfeil

Methacton High School uses Ascend Math for students who have both language and math skill barriers. The Math Foundations classes will effectively prepare students to take Algebra 1, giving the students an opportunity to achieve and grow in the course while preparing them for any additional math courses after Algebra 1. Students several years behind in their understanding in math have progressed between 1 and 3 grade levels.

Morgan Middle School
Morgan, UT

Adam Christensen

Using Ascend Math with fidelity at Morgan Middle School means completing at least 3 post objectives for students at grade level or below. Students that are one grade level above completed 2 objectives a week, and those who are 2 or more grade level above completed 1 objective a week. Ascend is used for both extension and remediation. At this point in the school year, the average level growth is 1.04 levels and the average gain of 55% per student! Ascend has assisted in student confidence in their ability to learn and has helped to create more of a growth mindset which, in turn, leads to more student engagement.

Mountain Heights Academy
West Jordan, UT

Victoria Webb

The Math Foundations class at Mountain Heights Academy is designed for special education students who require additional assistance to succeed in their grade-level assignments. During the third quarter of the 2023-2024 school year, students enrolled in the Ascend program achieved an impressive 89% pass rate. Using Ascend Math has helped these students to achieve a sense of accomplishment and confidence in math. This notable accomplishment reflects their dedication and the effectiveness of the Ascend program in supporting their learning journey.

Pine Springs Preparatory Academy
Holly Springs, NC

Rhonda Konawicz

Originally, Pine Springs Prep implemented Ascend Math to assist with post-pandemic learning loss for their special education students. In the years since, they have continued to use Ascend to help students fill knowledge gaps. More than half of their students have grown at least one level this year!

Saints Academy Private School
Orlando, FL

Claudee Faynik

The original intent of implementing Ascend Math at Saints Academy was to provide additional support services for students with an IEP. However, they soon identified other students who could benefit from the differentiated approach. Saints Academy found that the data Ascend Math provides equips teachers with data to share with students their work and progress. As a result, students have the opportunity to see the "work and their results".

This accountability, coupled with the motivation of knowing their own academic growth will be charted and reviewed has proven to be invaluable.

Seligman Schools
Seligman, AZ

Holly Chrest

Using Ascend Math for an average of 30 minutes a day at Seligman USD has led to an average increase of 37.5% on NWEA test scores. Their fourth grade class alone has shown a 49% increase! Ascend Math has helped students to achieve grade level benchmarks, as well as allowed students to excel above grade level.

Southwood High Schools
Shreveport, LA

Donald Whitaker

In Ascend Math's hometown of Shreveport, students at Southwood High School have averaged growth of 1.6 levels! Teacher Donald Whittaker says many students missed needed skills during COVID and Ascend Math has helped them to get where they need to be.

Stockdick Junior High
Katy, TX

Michele Cooper

Stockdick Junior High's Math Resource class is designed to help Special Education students who are years behind grade level due to learning disabilities to fill in gaps and help them catch up with their peers so that they can access grade level curriculum.

Tays Junior High
Katy, TX

Emily Quinn

At Tays Junior High, students with learning disabilities in math use Ascend Math individually, as well as for small and whole group work. Teacher Emily Quinn believes that Ascend Math helps her figure out where her students truly are with their math skills, so she can then help them break down trouble areas and navigate to understanding.

Waycross Middle School
Waycross, GA

Gale Burris

Ascend Math is provided to Tier 2 and Tier 3 students who are served in RTI (Response to Intervention) class. Students who scored below the 15th percentile are placed in RTI. RTI students have made impressive progress in addressing skill gaps this year. Students use Ascend Math for an average of 2.5 hours per week. Of the 18 middle school students who showed skill gaps in level 3, only 3 students remain.

Whitman Middle School
Wauwatosa, WI

Julie Harris

Whitman Middle School utilizes the Ascend Math program in their intervention class for approximately 30 minutes per day. The students in Math Lab are students who have traditionally struggled with math. However, celebrating their learning successes has inspired them to continue learning. Often have students (who in the past did not like math) work extra on Ascend outside of math class just so they can send a screenshot of the flag they earned at home and be able to ring the "yodel bell" the next day in class!

Austin Area Schools
Austin, PA

Norma Koehler

At Austin Area Elementary, Norma Koehler's goals with her special education students is help empower her students' own intrinsic need to want to improve and to provide the methods to do so. Students' CDT tests and IEP goals have showed continual progress towards closing the gap and to reaching their grade level skills in Math. Her students are now more courageous to participate with their peers in an area where they felt inadequate and defeated to attain the knowledge.

Chelsea High School
Columbiana, AL

Amy Lovelace

Chelsea High School's self-contained special education has dedicated students to Ascend Math this year by using the program for at least 30 minutes every day. Ascend Math was chosen for remediation because it is equitable for all learning styles and abilities. As a result of their hard work, more than half of all students have completed a full grade level of growth since August, and several students have completed more than 2 levels!

Crosby Middle School
Crosby, TX

Kevin Fontenot

Crosby Middle School uses multiple incentives to keep their students motivated in Ascend Math. Every time a student completes a Post Assessment or scores 80% or higher on a Pre-Assessment, they gain entry into the class "Snack Shack"! Their teacher, Kevin Fontenot, also incorporates a visual vocabulary, anchor charts, and manipulatives.

East Allegheny Jr/Sr High School
North Versailles, PA

Marcie Sippey

East Allegheny Jr/Sr High School has one main objective for their math students: close the gap. Their 523 students use Ascend Math for two hours every week to achieve this goal. Together, they have completed over 7,500 objective lessons this year.

Gadsden Middle School
Anthony, NM

Elizabeth Gorbett

Gadsden Middle School students have been using Ascend Math for an average of two hours a week this school year. Nearly one third of their students have completed one level or more.

Irvin C. Mollison
Chicago, IL

Kelly Crawford

Kelly Longmire-Crawford at Irvin P. Mollison on her experience with Ascend Math this school year: Ascend Math has had a transformative impact on student achievement in my classroom. Through personalized learning, regular monitoring, and data-driven instruction, my struggling students have made remarkable progress and shown strong growth by the middle of the year. I am optimistic and eagerly anticipate a strong finish at the end of the year, confident that Ascend Math will continue to support my students' academic success and prepare them for future learning opportunities.

Lincoln Elementary
DeMotte, IN

Shawn Nuest

Shawn Nuest at Lincoln Elementary implemented Ascend Math this year to help students grow in their math learning. Nearly 70% of students have completed more than half a grade level of growth in Ascend Math.

Methodist Residential Treatment Facility in Little Rock
Little Rock, AR

Monica Young

Methodist Resident Facility in Little Rock uses a highly structured implementation with Ascend Math to help reach the goals set for their students. Their model incorporates Ascend Math into the daily routine for each student. Ascend Math has assisted in student engagement at Methodist in terms of behavioral emotional, and cognitive needs. Ascend helps decrease negative behaviors, and positive behaviors and interactions are increased.

Wirth Middle School
Cahokia Heights, IL

Lisa M. Schaefer

Wirth Middle School bases the need for RTI on students' STAR Math assessment scores. When students have shown improvement, they are moved out of the RTI program. Since using Ascend Math, students have shown growth in both Ascend assessments and on the STAR test.