Announcing the 2023 Gold Medal Honorees

32 GOLD MEDAL SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS

The 2022-2023 school year has been an amazing year for our partner schools. Our schools have reported growth on high stakes tests, exceeding their projected growth targets. We are so thankful for our Gold Medal schools, what they are doing to support their students, and the ways they have shared their learning models to help other educators implement best practices. The over 3500 students in our 32 Gold Medal schools had an average post test gain of 52.8% this year and completed over 100,000 objectives! Most students gained from 1 to 3 levels in Ascend Math! Each Gold Medal school implements Ascend Math in their own unique way, and yet all schools achieved great success in fulfilling their bold goals. A number of teachers shared how students’ confidence and motivation are elevated with the individualized learning provided in Ascend. Continue reading to find out what success looks like to our Gold Medal schools.

Armuchee Middle School
Armuchee, GA

Austin Goggans

Armuchee has seen significant growth this year. Every student has moved up at least one grade level! We wanted to find a way to evaluate and plug instructional holes and gaps students may have in their math understanding. Students have completed an average of 83 objectives!

Impact Academy
Indianapolis, IN

Beverly White

Ascend Math is used with students in a residential facility with children who suffer from ED. Ascend not only bridges gaps in Math concepts but also provides confidence in basic concepts that allow students better participation during class discussions. 69% of my students have achieved 1+ grade level growth.

Jeremiah School
Johnson City, TN

Susan Van Slyke

Jeremiah School implemented Ascend Math with their students with Autism. Ascend has kept students engaged more than previous programs. Students who have spent more than 10 hours have completed on average 61 objectives and gained nearly one grade level! Some students have completed 3 to 5 grade levels.

Lakeside Christian School
Lakeside, FL

Jeremy Crane

Lakeside Christian has found the value of Ascend Math because they needed a program that met the kids at their needs!! Every year, students gain 1.5 grade level skills no matter their starting point

Lincoln Elementary
Macomb, IL

Michelle O'Brien

Lincoln Elementary uses Ascend as supplemental program paired with the district curriculum. Students use the workshop model to rotate through daily practice, reinforcement and enrichment. Students saw on average a 1.8 grade level growth while using over 90 minutes per week. Students look forward to working in Ascend and enjoy seeing their improvements. The class has a board where students can color in their mountain when they earn a flag!

Marietta Middle School
Marietta, GA

Marcia Brunet

Ascend Math was chosen due to the teacher component and how it aligned with their intervention models of small group instruction blended with online learning. 56% of the students have leveled up! The teacher videos and supplemental study guides are impactful for the students. The students learn to work independently and to keep trying even if they do not pass the post-assessment on the first attempt.

Mountain Heights Academy
West Jordan, UT

Lacie Jensen

Mountain Heights Academy adopted Ascend Math to fill in student learning gaps so they can join their peers and be successful in a less restrictive environment in the general education setting. In quarter 3 of the 22-23 school year, our students working in the Ascend program had a 92% pass rate in their Mountain Heights Academy math class.

Oak Hill Elementary
Lowell, IN

Samantha Gill

Oak Hill ES students have been closing the gap in Tier 2 Interventions this year with 86% of students completing one or more levels from September to March! These 3rd-5th grade students use of Ascend has resulted in a significant impact of increase in NWEA scores from the fall to winter assessments. The students feel motivated to work hard and this is reflected in their success.

Paetow High School
Katy, TX

Robert Jackson

Paetow High School implemented Ascend with their Special Education students. The program has provided the ability to focus on areas where students are struggling and provided attention in these critical areas. With about an hour of time spent in Ascend per week over 50% of students have seen one or more level gains year to date and 21% have seen two level gains!

Pine Springs Preparatory Academy
Holly Springs, NC

Rhonda Konawicz

Pine Springs has found the ease of use for students impactful. Using Ascend for the special education students has resulted in growth on state assessments this year.

Impact Academy
Indianapolis, IN

Ron Scurry

Impact Academy uses Ascend Math as an intervention tool where students can close gaps in their learning by 1 or more grade levels with 20 hours or more spent on the program. Ascend has assisted in student engagement by building confidence in the students. The students see an end goal by improving their math skills to earn a higher wage to support themselves.

Seligman Schools
Seligman, AZ

Ricky Lindblad

Seligman schools implemented Ascend Math as a MTSS and Special Ed Support for all students with a goal of increasing NWEA and state test scores. Students in the Elementary School have grown an average of 1.4 grade levels this year.

Shelby County Schools
Pelham , AL

Carla Layton

Ascend is used with middle school students who have an Individualized Education Plan and who are at least two grade levels behind in math. The overall goal is to close the gap as much as possible in order to access the curriculum in the general education setting. All five middle schools have shown significant gains post test vs. pre test.

Sierra Elementary School
Truth or Consequences, NM

Dr. Edgardo Castro

Sierra Elementary has found the impact on student achievement has been extremely powerful; for instance, each student is provided with an opportunity to think and act upon his goals and objectives based on the current math level. Therefore, Ascend Math recognizes the "individuality" of each learner, thus, it is differentiated in action. **Students have an average of 107 Objectives completed and 1.8 levels of growth!

Spring Woods Middle
Houston, TX

Stephanie Wilson

Spring Woods is using Ascend with special ed students who are multiple years behind grade level. We have seen 100% of students making progress! The program meets students where they are and builds up their abilities. Ensuring students are using all the resources available, in particular study guides, provides them the tools to success in the post assessment.

St. Ann Catholic School
Normandy, MO

Mark Werges

Ascend Math was adopted as one resource to help differentiate instruction, that is, to provide both remedial support and enrichment opportunities to students depending upon individual needs. It gives students an opportunity to thrive in math where they have otherwise struggled. Sixty-one percent of students progressed by at least one grade level; eleven percent have increased by two or more levels.

St. Stanislaus School
East Chicago, IN

St Stanislaus School adopted Ascend Math, ultimately, to meet the needs of our entire school population which consists of English learners, special education students, high-ability students, and general education students; this program allows us to provide individualized math instruction. Ascend Math’s impact on student achievement has also positively influenced the outcomes of our NWEA Math assessment results during the first 3.5 months of the school year!

Stockdick Jr High School
Katy, TX

Michele Cooper

Stockdick Junior High implemented Ascend Math to assist with improved state assessment results and has experienced amazing growth. 33% of students have completed two grade levels, with 92% of students completing one grade level.

Whitman Middle School
Wauwatosa, WI

Julie Harris

Whitman students utilize Ascend math for RTI and have seen significant growth from their over 90 minutes of usage per week. This has then translated into better grades and understanding in their regular math classes. This feeling of success tends to lead to improved confidence and student engagement. Students are more willing to do tasks that they know they are capable of doing!

Woodcreek Jr High School
Katy, TX

Kara Kelly!

Woodcreek Jr. High implemented Ascend with their Special Education students. Students worked an average of 90 minutes a week in two class periods. Students are completing four objectives every week on average. The students have averaged 121 objectives completed that has resulted in just over 2.7 levels of growth!

Austin Area Schools
Austin, PA

Norma Koehler

Austin Area Schools utilizes Ascend Math for remediation in skills that need a differentiated approach beyond the core classroom.

Clinton Community School District
Clinton, WI

Jennifer Loveless

Clinton CSD sought a program that would work with students in which non traditional methods did not work. Students have seen strong grade level growth this year. The online aspect has provided the ability to find success outside a traditional education model. Students know what to expect in Ascend, that has helped drive engagement to allow them to close math gaps.

Delta Middle School
Delta, OH

Jon Mignin

Ascend Math has had a tremendous impact on our middle school student's achievement. We have seen consistent growth in students' math skills by using Ascend Math. This year over a third of students have completed one level! Students at DMS have completed 17,941 objectives and worked 14,499 hours on Ascend this year.

East Allegheny Jr/Sr High School
North Versailles, PA

Marcie Sippey

East Allegheny Jr/Sr HS adopted Ascend Math to address the learning gaps students were facing during and after the pandemic. Equity and access are sometimes hurdles that need to be addressed. Ascend does that.

Fairfield West Elementary
Fairfield, OH

Becky Staples

West ES uses the program with their 3rd-5th grade students during intervention times. Ascend math has assisted in student engagement by moving at a pace and level that is individualized for each student. The gains in the Acadience assessment between fall to winter have averaged between 8.5 and 15.5 points!

Grant Community High School
Fox Lake, IL

Jason Papacek

Grant Community HS utilizes Ascend Math for Special Ed to diversify classroom learning and match the student's actual level of mathematical comprehension. Student grades are based on how many post-assessments they complete based on reaching a monthly quota.

Liberty Middle School
Cumming, GA

Zach Hobbs

The main objective when implementing Ascend Math was to offer an intervention to help support students below grade level. Liberty Middle School analyzes data to monitor student progress using Ascend Math. Year to date, 7th and 8th-grade students have completed 700 objectives and over 450 hours of lessons, and every student has made positive gains in their math skills.

Mollison Elementary School
Chicago, IL

Kelly Crawford

Mollison is using Ascend with Tier 2 and 3 students. Post-pandemic, our school found those huge learning gaps, and the school needed to help fill those gaps while exposing students to grade-level content. Ascendmath became very necessary and urgent for all students! Over 85% of students are now at the attainment, up from the prior level of 54%!

Randolph County Middle School
Cuthbert, GA

Kimbrell Pikins

Ascend Math has had a significant impact on student achievement, as demonstrated by its long-term impact on student performance. Ascend Math has improved Randolph Co MS student performance on state tests, standardized assessments, and other third-party assessments. Students had higher math proficiency rates than their peers who did not use Ascend Math.

Seaside Middle School
Seaside, OR

Jane Crater

Seaside Middle has witnessed improved student self-confidence in their math work when using Ascend. The goal was to improve test scores. As a result, the school has seen overall growth to grade level in STAR and other state testing.

The Columbus School
Alto de Las Palmas, Columbia

William Pulgarin

We used the Ascend Math program to support our incoming Algebra I students during the summer. These students have seen impressive gains in MAP scores along with scoring increases in NWEA results.

Willmar Middle
Willmar, MN

Dalton Kleinschmidt

Willmar Middle School utilizes Ascend Math for students with disabilities to improve MCA scores. The growth charts on the Teacher Dashboard assist in monitoring success to ensure students stay on task. As a result, students have shown improvement in MCA scores.