At The Gregory School, students take math classes at the level that is appropriate for them. Placement is not dictated by grade level, but rather by a placement test, transcripts, and conversations with the family and faculty upon starting here. Each subsequent year, faculty make a recommended mathematics placement for every student for the next school year. This means that we’ve had fifth graders in Algebra A and sophomores in everything from Algebra 1 to AP Calculus BC.

The Gregory School has a network of intentionally designed curricular mathematics pathways that students follow depending on their and their families’ goals. Moreover, that pathway is not permanently set. This means that students can change course and make new choices at a variety of junctures. The pathways diagram from the Upper School curriculum guide provides an excellent visual representation of how this works.

As with all of our curricular areas, TGS mathematics faculty meet regularly to discuss the curriculum and the needs of their specific students. Because our size allows flexibility and our teachers have the freedom to determine and then meet the needs of current students, these faculty members can decide to offer a new class to meet a specific need that they see. For example, next year we are offering a new course, “Advanced Algebra” for a specific group of eighth and ninth grade students who are ready to move beyond a typical Algebra 1 class.

Small class sizes and low student loads (the overall number of students a teacher teaches) enable our faculty to focus more closely in the classroom on individual student work in real time and correct mistakes more quickly. Additionally, these numbers provide the ability to spend more time per student outside of the classroom reviewing and correcting work. Our size also allows more communication with parents, resulting in faster resolution of issues.

• Academic Enrichment: Built into the daily schedule, Academic Enrichment provides all students with the opportunity to visit their mathematics teacher, ask questions, and work on homework before going home and discovering that there is something they don’t understand.
  

• Middle School Zero Hour Support: Our mathematics faculty offer free, small group math help based on teacher recommendation. These students meet before school to get more practice with the math material in a smaller group. Zero hour mathematics support meets one day per week in the math teacher’s classroom.

• Student to Student peer tutoring: The Math Tutoring Club, a group of TGS Upper School students who appreciate and excel at mathematics, proposed volunteering to spend some of their Academic Enrichment time helping other students with their math. Whether preparing for a test, working on a specific assignment, or checking in on a regular basis, these Upper School students enjoy sharing their love for math and the students they work with appreciate having an understanding, relatable peer closer to their age to support their learning. (This club has branched into the Tucson community, tutoring students at local elementary schools. Look for a future blog about our math tutoring club!)

• Accommodation Plan Collaboration & Support: Our math teachers meet with families of students with diagnosed disabilities or neurodiversities (including ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.) and create an accommodation plan based on the needs of the student. This might include allowing extended testing time, use of a calculator, or using notes on an assessment.