“The results that we're seeing are phenomenal and it's the missing piece that I couldn't figure out for years. It's just like all of a sudden, this magic program appears, and it's the exact fix that we needed in education to help bridge those gaps in some of these basic skills in mathematics.”
- Michelle LaRose, Conemaugh Valley Elementary School Principal
District leaders knew they needed a new approach that was structured, research-based, and proven to work. That’s when their Pennsylvania Intermediate Unit contact encouraged them to give SpringMath a try. When they did, the results exceeded expectations.
“The results that we're seeing are phenomenal and it's the missing piece that I couldn't figure out for years,” said LaRose. “It's just like all of a sudden, this magic program appears, and it's the exact fix that we needed in education to help bridge those gaps in some of these basic skills in mathematics.”
Supporting teachers for early success
SpringMath was introduced in grades 1–6 during the second half of the 2021–22 school year. To support high-quality implementation and ensure that optimal results were obtained, instructional leaders provided ongoing training and in-classroom coaching.
“We trained our teachers, observed their lessons, and made sure they were implementing with fidelity,” said Miller. “One of the biggest challenges was student conversations during peer tutoring, so we modeled what that should look like. We worked with teachers to make the process easier and gave kids ownership by encouraging them to take the lead.”
The following year, kindergarten was added to expand SpringMath schoolwide. Initially, some kindergarten teachers resisted starting the program early in the year, preferring to wait until December.
“There was a mindset that kindergarten students weren’t ready,” said LaRose. “But we set the expectation to start right away. When teachers fully commit early, they see the results and realize it was well worth the time. The data show that the more time you invest in the program, the more success students have.”
Recent data highlight just how beneficial SpringMath can be for even the youngest learners, showing dramatic growth from fall to winter across multiple kindergarten skills — some jumping from just 11% proficiency to 100% after classwide intervention.
“SpringMath has helped enhance our core tremendously because of the pre-exposure to some of the skills that SpringMath offers before they reach those topics in their Tier 1 instruction,” said Miller. “It's such an exciting time for our learners to have a program like this available to them to help achieve goals and master math fluency!”
Data show growth that speaks volumes
Now in its third full year, SpringMath is a core part of math instruction at Conemaugh Valley. Teachers use it consistently, students are excited to move through lessons, and math fluency is at an all-time high.
“This year we are on target to accomplish record numbers of the lessons,” said Miller. Last year, we had several grades complete the entire set of lessons. Teachers have also introduced incentives to keep students motivated, and it’s making a difference.”
Targeted support using real-time data
At Conemaugh Valley the implementation of SpringMath has provided the means for teachers to provide powerful interventions to every student and uses data to identify those students who are not making adequate progress every week.
“The program identifies students who need tier 2 and 3 intervention, and we make sure they see those concepts again – sometimes with a different teacher, sometimes in a different setting,” said Miller. “The scripts are there, they’re evidence-based, and they reinforce what students are learning in the classroom.”
The impact extends beyond students who are working toward mastery. Many first- and second-grade students are now working above grade level in math, thanks to the proficiency they’ve built with SpringMath.
Here to stay
SpringMath isn’t just a temporary initiative at Conemaugh Valley Elementary – it’s here to stay. Administrators and teachers alike are committed to building on this momentum and watching student success continue to grow. They encourage other districts to take the leap, too.
“Don’t wait – just do it,” said Miller. “SpringMath saved us because we didn't know where to go or how to go about getting students to where we needed them to be. It's changed our lives in fantastic ways. We're seeing kiddos do things that we once wondered if they’d ever be able to do.”