Ferry school place second in STEM

MARTINS FERRY -- The Martins Ferry City School District is closing out the year with a notable achievement -- the district's Science Technology Engineering and Math Academy ranked in second place out of 19 STEM academies monitored by the National Education Foundation in the area of student improvement.

Martins Ferry was ranked in first place among the participants in 2017.

Superintendent Jim Fogle said the second-place standing was cause to celebrate, adding that the district intends to top all the other academies once again next year.

"We've shown the second most growth in one school year," Fogle said. "We're very proud of all our achievements, students and faculty."

There are 19 STEM academies that are active through the National Education Foundation. The winning school district this year is based in Arizona. The NEF announced the winners at the end of April.

"All of our third- through eighth-graders are in the STEM Academy," STEM Director Bruce Hotlosz said, adding that the elementary and middle school pupils use a program called SuccessMaker, a math and literacy program.

"A student gets on the first day, and they have an initial placement, and that puts them at their grade level. If they're in second grade, and they might test 1.9, which is first grade, ninth month. Once they go on the SuccessMaker, their goal is to raise from 1.9 to 2.9 by the end of the school year, increasing your knowledge in math or reading one grade level in a year," he said. "Last year we were first of the 19 academies. This year we were second."

He said the determination is made by averaging class, grade level and subject.

"Once they got the class average, then they did the whole school average," Hotlosz said.

A wall in the middle school is the showcase of pictures acknowledging students of the week and students of the month, as well as students who have mastered all of the academy's skills. In addition, on 40 occasions Martins Ferry students had the highest weekly or monthly improvements of all 19 academies.

Hotlosz said school-wide cooperation and a supportive atmosphere were the keys to success, as well as incentives for the students to achieve.

"I credit our staff, our administration and our students," he said. "(The administration and principals) make sure that the teachers have the time and the resources to get these kids on here for an hour a week on the self-paced learning program. … The teachers make sure the kids are doing the work and make sure the kids aren't having any problems."

He pointed out the combination of skills such as math and communication, which he said enable older students' cooperation in applying lessons to STEM projects. Hotlosz added that the eventual goal is to integrate robotics into the curriculum.

The district was able to initiate the STEM academy using a five-year $1.5 million loan from Qualified Zone Academy Bonds and the NEF, which provided a match of 10 percent. There are two years remaining, and Hotlosz said district officials are pursuing funding sources to continue the program.

"We think it's worthwhile, and we think the kids really need this," he said. "We put about $300,000 to $400,000 into Chromebooks, and we put another $250,000 into the SuccessMaker program."

He pointed out the elementary classes have charts to mark the pupils' progress and improvements in math and reading through the year, with incentives and prizes for the student who makes the most progress.

"I think there are good aspects to (the Reading SuccessMaker) that help the kids see different types of vocabulary and different types of questions," Kelsey Voithofer, seventh grade language arts teacher, said, adding that her students are exposed to a wide variety of articles and literature.

She also said the program offers a degree of personalization, identifying an individual pupil's difficulties and suggesting when intervention could be helpful.

"It's based on the kids and where the (initial) program places them at. It works them through skills they have trouble on. After they've gotten so many correct and they've mastered it, they move on to different levels," she said. "It is personalized to each kid and what level they're on."

Voithofer added that she has seen a difference as the students make connections and inferences using their material, as well as demonstrate greater ability with vocabulary and story elements.