The Challenge

Leaders at Wilton Public Schools recognized that learning gaps during remote instruction would result in students performing below grade-level expectations in mathematics. Wilton Public Schools desired a resource that would be an accessible lift for teachers to incorporate alongside a tutoring program to supplement instruction for students that did not receive supplemental instructional services during distance learning and whose performance on assessments determined a need for additional support.

Choosing Exemplars

Wilton Public Schools developed a 10-week tutoring program as an initial triage for students transitioning back to in-person instruction.  Understanding that teachers didn’t have the time or capacity to internalize a complicated platform, it was imperative they found an effective resource consisting of a solid curriculum base with a prescribed program that would be acessible for instructors to learn and utilize. Exemplars content-rich digital math Library, combined with a flexible and transferable way for students to problem solve and critically think, provided Wilton Public Schools with the perfect platform to augment their tutoring program.  Students of all levels showed excitement when solving Exemplars rigorous problems and even engaged at a higher level while collaborating in small group settings as they analyzed their various approaches to understanding, unpacking, and solving problems.

The Outcome

Ten weeks after using Exemplars, teachers saw significant improvement in student learning outcomes, filling the learning loss gaps caused by a change in instructional methods during remote learning.  Teachers quickly learned how to incorporate Exemplars into their program. Students began to uncover their pathways to solve Exemplars performance tasks, collaborating to brainstorm and lead group discussions around possible solutions to the complex problems.  As a result, students at Wilton Public Schools grew to be more comfortable with thinking creatively and justifying their problem-solving decisions.  Teachers were so impressed with the positive growth students in the tutoring program experienced that they began to use Exemplars with all students at all ability levels.