Community Home Education Program, Orange County Department of Education Costa Mesa, CA
Grade(s): K - 8 Scenario: Home Access Purpose: Supplement ALEKS Portion of Curriculum: 100% Time Spent in ALEKS: 5-10 hours per week, 90-180 hours per term ALEKS Course: Mathematics - LV 3 (with QuickTables), Mathematics - LV 4 (with QuickTables), Mathematics - LV 5 (with QuickTables), Mathematics - MS/LV 6, Essential Mathematics (with QuickTables), Middle School Geometry, Pre-Algebra
Robin Roberson, Teacher
I love ALEKS!
Scenario
What challenges did the class or school face in math prior to using ALEKS? Our biggest problem has been math not being individualized enough. The class would move on before the students really understood a concept.
How many days per week is class time dedicated to ALEKS? 5 days per week.
What is the average length of a class period when ALEKS is used? N/A
Implementation
How do you implement ALEKS? We are a homeschool program and the majority of the students use it at home.
Do you cover ALEKS concepts in a particular order? No.
How do you structure your class period with ALEKS? We use ALEKS to tutor, and students do their daily work on ALEKS.
How did you modify your regular teaching approach as a result of ALEKS? My biggest change was using ALEKS in place of a textbook.
How often are students required or encouraged to work on ALEKS at home? Daily.
How do you cultivate parental involvement and support for ALEKS? Parents usually get involved via word of mouth and exposure to the program.
Grading
Is ALEKS assigned to your students as all or part of their homework responsibilities? If so, what part of the total homework load is it? If the student is using ALKES, it is 100 percent of their homework.
How do you incorporate ALEKS into your grading system? Students are graded on progress made and time spent in ALEKS.
Do you require students to make regular amounts of progress in ALEKS? Progress is measured by subtracting their initial assessment score from 100 percent and dividing it by four, which gives us the percentage of the course that needs to be completed each quarter in order to complete the course by the end of the school year.
Learning Outcomes
Since using ALEKS, please describe the learning outcomes or progress you have seen. I have seen students who hate math begin to have success and experience tremendous growth. They are very proud of themselves when they finish a portion of their pie.
Best Practices
Are there any best practices you would like to share with other teachers implementing ALEKS? Use the program with your students, so you understand what it is all about.
