According to spring 2024 STAAR end-of-course data available from the Texas Education Agency research portal, math scores in Austin ISD have still not recovered from a precipitous drop that coincided with the pandemic. The post-pandemic performance of AISD eighth and ninth graders on the Algebra I end-of-course test reveals a disturbing trend.

In spring 2024, only 39% of AISD students met grade-level proficiency in math in 2024 by scoring “meets and above” on the Algebra I end-of-course test. 2024 marked the fourth spring since STAAR EOC testing resumed after the pandemic that less than half of AISD students scored “meets and above” on the spring Algebra I test. Almost 70% reached that threshold in 2019. Only 11% of spring 2019 Algebra I test-takers in the district “did not meet” grade-level standards on the EOC test. For the past four years the “did not meet” number in the district has hovered near 30%.

That is where the McCallum Math Center comes in—providing a supportive learning environment to help students improve their skills and ultimately succeed in their math journey. The center is sponsored by McCallum Math Department Chair, Angie Seckar-Martinez.

“I think it is important to provide support to students within the walls of the school building,” Seckar-Martinez said. “Although some students choose to and can afford private tutoring outside of school, that is simply not an option for most students. I wanted every student to have the chance to work one-on-one with an expert right here at school.”  

The Math Center offers flexibility to fit different student needs. While some students drop in periodically for help, such as for a homework assignment, correcting a quiz or catching up on missed work, others visit the Math Center regularly to review what they learn in class and even get ahead. 

Junior Ashton Ward, a Math Center tutor who focuses on Algebra 1, Algebra 2, pre-Calculus and geometry, encourages students to seek out Math Center resources.

“We all need help with our homework and it’s so much better to step out of your comfort zone and fully understand the content than to struggle with it alone,” Ward said. “Math center is an especially great place for this because we’re all students and sometimes it can be helpful to have your peer try to explain something to you if you’re not understanding what the teacher is saying.“

Math Center tutors volunteer their time before school, during lunch and during class periods through the student leadership class to help their fellow students. 

“The student tutors are an amazing source of support for students of all math abilities,” Seckar-Martinez said. “Students who come to the Math Center for tutoring love that the tutors they are working with are focused only on them and not having to split time between several students or getting pulled in other directions by additional teacher responsibilities outside of tutoring.”

Along the way, tutors also gain valuable skills. Junior Camilla Rosen is a Math Center tutor and said she appreciates what she is learning through the process. 

“Being a tutor has helped me find other ways to explain how to solve math problems because different people learn in different ways,” Rosen said. “Tutoring has helped me with my work because I’ve been able to review concepts I’ve learned in math classes in years past.”

In the end, math center tutoring can benefit everyone, helping students be better equipped to face the challenges of high school and college-level math. According to Seckar-Martinez, as the Math Center has started this school year, it may take some time to see improvements among students who use the services.

“I haven’t had the chance to see the results yet, however, from the past years many students benefited from the tutoring—both gaining math knowledge and being inspired by the students that provide the tutoring,” Seckar-Martinez said.