Out of concern for declining math performance over the last couple of years, Saucon Valley ES has made changes for this year including a proposal for more changes being brought to the school board for review.

The school has implemented an additional half hour of daily math instruction called Math IE (Intervention and Extension) this year, and special education teachers will be in the classroom for the full period and will work with special needs students as well as other students’ math needs.

Saucon Valley ES Principal Cindy Motter and Associate Principal James Deegan oresented the proposal with additional information from several teachers in attendence. Motter and Deegan outlined a new plan to re-group all students with similar needs in grades three and four by going from the current six sections of Math IE to seven sections.

According to Motter, “Our goal is growing students mathematically while respecting their developmental needs” and our “main goal is success for all students.”

The new re-grouping would create smaller Math IE class sizes but would add an additional class to both grade 3 and 4. The 2 additional math classes would create the need for the district to hire another part time math teacher.

Despite a tight budget, Superintendent Dr. Craig Butler, supports the new plan. According to Butler, “I believe that we can better meet our students’ needs in the area of mathematics particularly in the younger grades with a different grouping model.”

Though they’re in the midst of a school year, he said, “I believe there is a sense of urgency... we can’t be doing the same thing that we have done in the past and expect different results.”

The reception from other board members, however, did come with pushback and skepticism.

Board President Michael Karabin pointed out after seeing many changes in the past without the results they hoped for, said, “I’m not opposed to spending dollars on another teacher if I believe that it’s truly an asset to our situation, but I’m not totally convinced and that’s my problem.”

School Board member Bryan Eichenfeld would consider it, but said, “I would really like to do it with the staffing we have.”

Both Butler and Motter explained that moving existing staff was not feasible and would create a disruption.

Also discussed in the meeting was the smaller class sizes under the new plan.

Butler said he believes that a smaller class size would better meet the needs of the students.

Board Vice President Susan Baxter replied, “I do believe that Saucon Valley has one of the lowest class sizes in the area and now your suggesting that we go and lower our class sizes even more which starts to equate us even more with a private school setting.”

Baxter finished by saying she supports making changes, but is concerned about cost and noted smaller class sizes may not be the answer.

The plan is to revisit the issue at the next meeting.