The Bath Elementary School administration has come up with the ‘Walk To’ Program in order to help students who need extra assistance in reading and math. Bath Elementary has an intervention team that assists teachers in providing students with the extra help they need.According to Nikki Mosser, an intervention teacher at Bath Elementary, the school used to use what they referred to as the ‘pull-out’ and ‘push-in’ models to give students in need extra assistance. Students were pulled out of class to receive help and intervention teachers were placed in classes to give extra help. After the Bath Elementary intervention team discovered the ‘Walk To’ Program was being used in other school districts, it is now being implemented in the school. All students are required to ‘Walk To’ their own classroom teacher, another classroom with a different teacher at the same grade level, or with an intervention teacher.
“I think this is a great idea,” said Bath Elementary School parent Barbara Wymon. “My son has always needed extra help in math, and he has always felt as if he was being put on the spot when he was pulled out of the classroom. Now that all students are required to move to another learning environment, he feels more comfortable.”
All students are divided into groups based on reading and math levels within their grade level. Students are required to ‘Walk To’ the classroom that teaches their math and reading levels. The ‘Walk To’ program is in effect Monday through Thursday for an hour each day.
According to Bath Elementary principal Zachary Strickler, because this is a new program to Bath Elementary it is expected that changes will be made to ensure the program is benefiting the students.
“So far it has shown to be successful,” said Strickler. “Changes will be made to the program beginning in January according to the progression of students.”