MindPrint
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Case Study: Ohio Lead Math Teacher Experiences Exceptional Student Growth with MindPrint
Public
NWEA
Math
OH
Middle School
Growth Mindset
Mathematical Thinking
Urban
Kilgour School
Cincinnati, OH
Stephanie Bisher, lead math teacher at Kilgour School (K-6) in Cincinnati, Ohio, saw exceptional growth in scores on the Ohio State Test and in MAP Growth scores after just one year of using MindPrint, with
"NWEA MAP Math Scores Exceed 150% of Projected Growth
Challenge
Stephanie was ranked annually in the top tier of math teachers across the state based on growth on state summative assessments. However, she continued to notice that her students:
- Believed math was hard and not something they
really enjoyed - Focused only on getting the correct answer, and not
the process - Rushed to finish rather than problem solve when the work
became challenging
Solution
Stephanie knew it would take time to change students’ math mindsets and motivate them to take a deeper approach to math problem solving. Her one new initiative for the school year was to add MindPrint to help her better understand her students’ mathematical thinking . The tool easily identified each students' learning strengths and needs, and pinpointed the specific skills critical to math success, including abstract reasoning and flexible thinking.
Adding MindPrint as a data layer for the whole class revealed common strengths in verbal reasoning, spatial perception and visual memory. Once I understood that, I was able to change how I presented challenging concepts and make the math easier for them.
Stephanie Bisher | 6th Grade Lead Math Teacher
Results
Since using MindPrint, student growth has increased on the Ohio State Test, moving Stephanie’s classroom growth index from a 2 to a 4.5 in just two years (top score of 5), with 70% of her students now in the state’s top math category. Also, fall to winter MAP Growth, student scores exceeded projected growth expectations by 150%!
The group dashboard and student profiles are two of my favorite MindPrint resources because they are easy to read and navigate. They allow me to get information about all my students – those who are doing exceptionally well, students I need to nurture or challenge, students I am watching, and students who need additional support.
Stephanie Bisher | 6th Grade Lead Math Teacher
Looking Ahead
Stephanie continues to use MindPrint, as integral to her instruction. Using the insights from MindPrint helps her to highlight and leverage students’ strengths as a motivator for student growth. Stephanie was a speaker at the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Conference and a presenter for the MindPrint sponsored webinar “Redefining a Math Person:
Why Communicating, Visualizing, & Problem Solving are Coreto Math Success.”
Why Communicating, Visualizing, & Problem Solving are Core
Stephanie Bisher
6th Grade Lead Math Teacher
A lot of students came into math class with the mentality of not being a math person and believing they would never be good at it. Now I have students who are enjoying math. They like coming to class. They feel like they are doing well, that they can be a math person!
- Grades K-6
- 518 Students
- 10% FRL
- 29% Minority enrollment
- Student-Teacher Ratio 20:1