Ephrata High School, Ephrata Area School District
Grade(s): 9 - 12
Scenario: Computer Lab
Purpose: Exit Exam
ALEKS Portion of Curriculum: 100%
Time Spent in ALEKS: 3 hours per week, 30 hours per term
Michael Mylin, Math Teacher
I have been very pleased with my first year of using ALEKS.
What challenges did the class or school face in math prior to using ALEKS?
We were using an online math remediation program that was still under construction. It was both frustrating and ineffective for both students and teachers.
How many days per week is class time dedicated to ALEKS?
5 days per week.
What is the average length of a class period when ALEKS is used?
How do you implement ALEKS?
We chose to move from a different program over to ALEKS. When introducing it to our students, we required that they reach 70 percent to be considered proficient.
Do you cover ALEKS concepts in a particular order?
They can select topics in any order, as the topics become available.
How do you structure your class period with ALEKS?
My students work independently, asking questions as needed.
How did you modify your regular teaching approach as a result of ALEKS?
As this class was not set up to include a traditional teaching approach, I have not modified my teaching style.
How often are students required or encouraged to work on ALEKS at home?
Because they must reach 70 percent before graduation, the amount of time needed varies from student to student. Some finished in less than 10 hours, but others needed nearly 50 hours.
How do you cultivate parental involvement and support for ALEKS?
As students shared their experience on ALEKS with their parents, I began to hear positive responses from parents.
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?
This class is unique in that it is a graduation requirement, but not graded.
How do you incorporate ALEKS into your grading system?
We do not grade the students, but do make their participation mandatory.
Do you require students to make regular amounts of progress in ALEKS?
Although the requirement is 70 percent proficiency, I do monitor the number of topics learned per hour along with measuring their progress to determine if they are on track for graduation.
Since using ALEKS, please describe the learning outcomes or progress you have seen.
I have seen great strides being made by many of the students using ALEKS. The fact that they must still work out the problems using paper and pencil pushes and motivates them to work hard while using the program. ALEKS creates an excellent environment for practicing and learning. I give my students an exit survey as they finish the program and they consistently mention learning a lot and enjoying using ALEKS.