Bridgeport High School can add another honor to a long list of accolades they have received both on the athletic front as well as in academics.  Principal Mark Defazio announced this week that BHS is number one in the state on math scores, thanks to a rigorous year-round commitment to increasing student understanding and application.

 

“My first reaction was how happy I am for the students,” said BHS Math Department Head and new Assistant Principal Renee Mathews.  “They truly have worked for their success and it is well deserved.”

 

One strategy that the eight math teachers have put into use is the interactive notebook.  The current group of students has utilized this resource throughout their high school careers and it has been proved to help them make connections and understand new concepts.

 

“The interactive notebook consists of foldables, matching activities, teacher notes, examples and other resources that reinforce lessons,” said Mathews.  “The idea came about after our math team attended a conference that encouraged the notebooks as part of an overall support plan for students.  We are fortunate that Mr. Defazio supports it 100% and the students’ scores have improved significantly since we started using it.”

 

Additionally, the math department also offers free lunchtime tutoring with Mrs. Keener and has had Math Lunch Bunch for several years to help struggling students. 

 

“Students sometimes have difficulty connecting concepts or simply have a dislike of math,” Mathews said.  “We try to help clarify the concepts and offer assistance to any student who might have questions. Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Smith and I have analyzed the data for each individual student to help determine proper placement and whether or not Algebra support is needed.”

 

Using such a variety of instructional strategies in the math classes has paid off for the students, placing them in the top spot in the state.  This year, the testing will be the SAT for grade 11 and the freshmen and sophomores will also take some version of the SAT.  Because Bridgeport High School has been giving the SAT 8/9 and the PSAT 10 the last few years, the department has the data to determine what areas need to be emphasized.

 

BHS math instructors include Charlene Keener, Renee Mathews, Charlea Ramsey, Cara Pinti, Kathy Cox, Dave Marshall, Natalie Hathaway and Chad Weekly. 

 

"We are proud of the efforts on the part of the math department as well as the students," said Defazio. "We continually try to improve our test scores and believe in trying every available resource to help students be successful.  There is always room for improvement, but we are thrilled that the math scores are number one in the state."