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D. L. Rountree Elementary

"SuccessMaker is a program that can identify the holes under the surface of a child’s education and fill them. The gaps are identified and addressed."
—Susan Sutton, Title I Math Teacher

Profile

D. L. Rountree Elementary is located in Allen, Texas and enrolls 388 students in kindergarten through grade six. The school is part of the Allen Independent school district enrolling 14,700. Forty-six percent of Rountree students are eligible for a free and reduced-price lunch program. The mobility rate is eight percent. Ethnic breakdowns at Rountree are 50.8 percent Caucasian, 28.9 percent Hispanic, 17 percent African-American and 3.3 percent consist of other nationalities. Twelve languages are spoken at the school.

Challenge

According to Susan Sutton, Title I Math Teacher, "All schools face the problem of differentiating instruction. We wanted a program that would involve the teacher, provide extensive and accurate data, and enable the student to succeed by filling the gaps that may exist in his or her education."

Solution

D. L. Rountree Elementary implemented SuccessMaker from Pearson Digital Learning in November 2003 primarily through Title I funds. Computer equipment was purchased with bond money.

All students in K–6 use SuccessMaker for 30 minutes a day. The usage schedule was worked out considering special programs like ESL and Resource, as well as lunch and specials like physical education and music.

"Some issues that initially arose were the scheduling and teacher ’buy in‘. Since Texas is required to give TAKS tests yearly and school and district ratings depend on successful test scores, teachers were reluctant to give up any class time. They only agreed to bring the students to work on SuccessMaker because participation in the program was mandatory. Since implementation though, all of our teachers have seen its benefit, and if for some reason we can't open the lab, they are not happy," says Sutton.

Testimonials

Teachers and students from kindgarten through grade six are experiencing the benefits of SuccessMaker. A vast amount of enthusiasm is apparent in their words:

Kindergarten
"I think SuccessMaker is innovative and highly motivating for kindergartners. I like the reports that can be printed to document each student's progress."
—Pam Ross, Kindergarten Teacher

"SuccessMaker is great for differentiation. It meets the kids where they are and goes from there. When normal classroom instruction teaches to the ’average‘ child, SuccessMaker is able to target the struggling and excelling students."
—Melody Smith, Kindergarten Teacher

"I love it! I think SuccessMaker is a great way to introduce and reinforce things we are learning in the classroom. And the kids really seem to enjoy working on the computers. I'm really happy with my class’s progress in the program."
—Nikki Duncan, Kindergarten Teacher

"It was pretty scary for me at first--I was thinking, ‘My little bilingual kiddos will be lost!’ Not so! They really enjoy it and I have seen huge progress since the beginning of the year. The secret of their success, though, I think, is that we backed off from using multiple programs at first to just one until they were comfortable with it. Then we added the next one."
—Gail Doran, Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher

First Grade
"In just six weeks time, I have seen huge progress in all of my students and three have already progressed to second grade level. This program really keeps their attention, and they look forward to coming every day."
—Miss Jennifer Smith, 1st Grade Teacher

Second Grade
"I find it very beneficial for the kids. They enjoy going into the lab every day and working on it. I think it is GREAT!"
—Rynda Pyle, 2nd Grade Teacher

Third Grade
"I love being able to track the students' achievement each day and instantly celebrate their successes at their individual performance level."
—Mendi Wenchester, 3rd Grade Teacher

Fifth Grade
"I like Successmaker because my students like it. They are getting individualized practice on their level, which makes me happy, and they’re having fun learning, which makes them happy. It's a win-win situation."
—Mary Higdon, 5th Grade Teacher

"SuccessMaker is a great reviewing tool. It spirals the objectives so that the students continue to review the TEKS objectives all year long. It also provides the teacher with reports that can be used to document the students’ progress. This documentation is great for parent conferences, administration updates, and teacher information."
—Patricia Gear, 5th Grade Teacher

Sixth Grade
"This program targets areas of need on grade level much better than classroom instruction could."
—Davia Madariaga, 6th Grade teacher

The words from the Rountree Elementary staff speak for themselves. SuccessMaker has proven to be successful in all grades at increasing basic skills, promoting individualized practice and keeping students on track for maximum achievement.

Contact us for additional information on how Pearson Digital Learning can help you achieve results with SuccessMaker Enterprise.