SAUGUS — Belmonte STEAM Academy, the district’s elementary school, is piloting a Math Fellows program aimed at enhancing students’ expertise in this subject through small-groups tutoring.
The program has not even been running for a full month, but it’s already proving to be successful. School administrators are now looking toward starting a similar program, which is being called the Literacy Fellows project.
“Students really are benefiting, to be in a small group tailored to exactly what they need,” said Susan Terban, executive director of curriculum and instruction at Belmonte STEAM Academy, who coordinates the program.
Terban said the program is aimed at accelerating student learning and recovering the learning that was lost through the pandemic.
“Seventy-five percent of the students in Saugus are one to two years behind in mathematics,” said Superintendent of Schools Erin McMahon.
The students selected for the tutoring program were not so far behind that they needed intensive instruction, but they needed more time for instruction and small-group attention, said Jen Lefferts, communications manager for the Saugus Public Schools.
“With a little more focused instruction they can get there,” said Lefferts.
McMahon said the Math Fellows program seeks to give “a little extra push” for the kids who “are just about to get it.” She said the teachers hope to bring all the students in the class to grade level.
McMahon said she had developed a similar program when she worked as a regional superintendent in Denver, Colo. In that school system, she said, there were math fellows and literacy fellows programs as well.
She said high-dosage tutoring with people who have expertise in math and science worked exceptionally well with small groups of students.
“We really looked at the math fellows as an opportunity to be a pipeline for teachers going forward,” said McMahon.
Community service and community strengthening are additional goals for the Math Fellows program.
“We are also working on a sense of belonging in the community,” said Terban. “We encourage anyone who is looking to give back to the students.”
The tutors are also being paid at a rate of $34.42 an hour, according to a job posting on Indeed. The tutoring comes at no cost to the students, and the project is covered through federal funding, said Terban.
“It’s a very rewarding experience on both ends,” said Terban.
In addition to improving their math scores, the students also benefit from the mentorship the program provides.
“The tutors are serving as mentors for the students and building strong relationships,” said Terban, adding that these strong relationships give the kids confidence to do better in their classes.
“I really love getting to help the students out and kind of help them achieve their academic goals and also kind of be able to be a friend outside of a classroom,” said Dan Harvey, one of the tutors and a recent graduate of Virginia Tech.
Other tutors for the program include a park ranger, a musician, and a software engineer.
Many of the kids said that they like math more since their participation in the program.
“The class is really fun, and we learn a lot,” said fourth-grader Mikayla Le.
Students are also less afraid to make a mistake in a smaller group, where they “don’t feel that embarrassed,” as another fourth-grader Anthony Sullivan put it.
Sophia Machado, another fourth-grade student, said her parents felt good about the program, and her classmate Hannah Rogers said that there is now “actually a thing to look forward to” in school.
The classes take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for the selected fourth- and fifth-grade students. The fourth-graders get help during their last period, and the fifth-graders stay after school.
Tracey Ragucci, principal at Belmonte STEAM Academy, helped to create a quiet space for the students to have privacy during their studies, and the elementary math coach put together the curriculum for the tutors.
The school is looking to hire more tutors.
