Beginning when students return from Thanksgiving Break, math teacher Adam Stroud, along with other math teachers at PHS, are inviting students to take part in ISTEP Prep. Any student is invited to attend, but the math department is primarily focused on those who are either taking ISTEP for the first time or retaking it. This can include sophomores, juniors and seniors. Stroud also invites NHS members to attend to assist the students with their preparation.

By attending, students can earn extra credit from their math teacher and gain even more points by asking their parents to attend with them. Stroud, along with the math department, hopes this positive incentive will make students more willing to come to get the extra help they may need.

“Our primary goal is to get more students to pass the ISTEP, but we also hope to grow students’ math abilities. PHS has had more growth in this department in the past 3 years than all area schools. Last year, we grew an additional 5% above the state average. As a department, we hope to keep this growth going,” said Stroud.

The meetings are going to be treated like a traditional classroom but with more interaction among the students. Each meeting, the math department will pick a state standard to focus on. They will take time to explain the standard, work examples and answer questions the students may have. The students will then have the opportunity to work problems on their own and with other students. Stroud has also created a Kahoot, an online interactive game, to help students prepare.  

The meetings will take place in Stroud’s room, 104, unless there is not enough room. If this is the case, the meetings will then be moved to the high school cafeteria.

Stroud and the math department hope many students and their parents choose to attend the ISTEP Prep.

Story by Madison Street