MED 6010

Heather Larsen

Final Project

Struggling Math Student Action Plan

One of the subjects that students struggle the most with is math. I would like to study

struggling math students to see what helps them achieve the best help to improve their math

level. I would like this project to begin next September, fall 2018, and watch the students

through term 1 and term 2. I haven’t spoken to my administrators about this plan yet, however I

would like the students we study to receive some type of incentive to get them to do what I am

asking. I perceive that getting them to follow through with the actual plan of remedial help will

be difficult. However, this could be part of the study; we may see students that are given

remedial help and will not try to do any of it.

I would like to pick several students (sophomores and juniors) and test their level of

math. I am thinking that we should use the website Aleks.com as a test to see their level.

However, we could use any other type of math test, online or written, to test their level. Once

they are tested, I will want to organize the students in groups that have the same level of math (or

about the same). Then in each group we will assign students to a certain study/remediation plan.

I want each plan to be different so that I can compare the plans at the end of the study to see the

most effective plan(s).

 This next part will be difficult. I need to decide on a remediation plan for each student.

Ideally I would like three group levels, with three levels of student:

Students Groups

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

Low Student A: Plan A Student A: Plan A Student A: Plan A
Middle Student B: Plan B Student B: Plan B Student B: Plan B
High Student C: Plan C Student C: Plan C Student C: Plan C

Group 1 would have the lowest level of students. Group 2 would have the next lowest and group

3 would have the highest of the three. Student A in each group would be the lowest level of

student, student B would be the next lowest and student C would be the highest of the three. Plan

A, plan B, and plan C would all be the same exact plan.

Plan A: One on One. Every A day, or a day specified by teacher and student, I would

meet and I would give one on one help with each student. This is the most daunting plan to me. I

am nervous that the students won’t follow through, and I will run out of time to help them. This

would have to be tweaked and altered as time goes on, but to see if one on one help is the best, I

think this is the best way to see if it can be done.

Plan B: Math Lab. This is the typical solution to a student struggling math student at

Bountiful High. They would enroll in the math lab class and attend it every other day. In this

class they would get extra time learning the same material. It is not all individual help, however

at times they can receive individual help. Students get to work with one other and will receive a

second assignment that is a fraternal twin of their assignment given in their regular class. I go

through the “in class assignment,” which is the second assignment given. Then I allow the

students to go through their assignment which is basically the same thing with different numbers.
 Plan C: Online Khan Academy. I will assign the student a Khan Academy video that will

teach the student the concept learned in class. They will watch this at home, and then try to

complete the homework. The will be assigned a video each time there is a new concept learned.

Students will be taught that while watching the videos they are to follow along and try to do the

math as well.

All student work will be compared. The percentage of homework turned in, quiz scores

and test scores. Then at the end of the study students will retake a proficiency test and they will

be compared. Of course there will be other variables to be weighed in, however hopefully we

will see a method that works the best for the students that are struggling with math.