ALEKS - Assessment and Learning

Implementation Strategies

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View a selection of implementation strategies from educators who are successfully using ALEKS to achieve dramatic learning outcomes. 

Carondelet Catholic School, Private
Minneapolis, MN

Grade(s): K - 8
Scenario: Home Access
Purpose: Intervention, Core Curriculum
ALEKS Portion of Curriculum: 30%
Time Spent in ALEKS: 1 hour per week, 12 hours per term
ALEKS Course: Middle School Math Course 2, Middle School Math Course 3

Dorothy Wintz, Teacher
I had five students who needed some extra help with their Algebra skills. I felt that using ALEKS would be a good addition to their education. The students felt successful, and I was pleased to see their excitement for math. Students enjoy using it. They would ask me often if they could leave class and go to the computer lab to work on ALEKS. I personally used it to study for the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations (MTLE) test. It was a fantastic way to refresh my skills for the test.


Scenario

What challenges did the class or school face in math prior to using ALEKS?
The five students who used it could not move as quickly as the rest of the class.

How many days per week is class time dedicated to ALEKS?
3-4 days per week.


Implementation

How do you implement ALEKS?
We do not use it in the classroom.

Do you cover ALEKS concepts in a particular order?
No.

How do you structure your class period with ALEKS?
We do not use it in class. Our school only had money for a few students to use it.

How did you modify your regular teaching approach as a result of ALEKS?
I did not modify my teaching approach.

How often are students required or encouraged to work on ALEKS at home?
They are encouraged to spend ten minutes a day on ALEKS at home.

How do you cultivate parental involvement and support for ALEKS?
I send emails to remind parents to encourage their son or daughter to use it.


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?
No.

How do you incorporate ALEKS into your grading system?
I do not, since only five students are using it.

Do you require students to make regular amounts of progress in ALEKS?
No.


Learning Outcomes

Since using ALEKS, please describe the learning outcomes or progress you have seen.
Students enjoy using it. They would ask me often if they could leave class and go to the computer lab to work on ALEKS. Using ALEKS improves students' scores. I was planning on recommending one of my students to repeat Algebra in ninth grade, but after he used ALEKS, I recommended that he take Geometry.


Best Practices

Are there any best practices you would like to share with other teachers implementing ALEKS?
Listen while they work on math for students who are having difficulty, and then encourage them to check out that concept on ALEKS at night.