Great Bend High School Counselor Rachel Thexton said she was skeptical of the benefit a therapy dog might have among teenage students, but she listened to other educators and agreed to adopt and train Willa, a goldendoodle puppy, to join her at work for half of each school day.

Even though Willa is still in training for official certification, Thexton said she is seeing positive effects.

“Her sole job is to let people love on her,” Thexton told the board of education. “The last couple of years have been hard, so maybe our kids need a therapy dog.” It certainly has changed the dynamic in Thexton’s office, she said, adding kids “really like” the 7-month-old puppy that is half poodle and half golden retriever.

As for Willa, Thexton said the dog takes her job seriously.

“She knows that she’s there for a purpose.”

Advanced math proposal

Willa wasn’t on the agenda for Monday’s regular school board meeting, but any time someone shows up with a new therapy dog, personal introductions are in order. Thexton was there for another reason, which was the presentation of a proposal to change the Great Bend Middle School curriculum for advanced math.

Representatives from GBHS and GBMS were there to explain why USD 428 should do away with the current system. Those speaking were Daniel Schneider, GBHS math teacher, and Peggy Haag, GBMS instructional coach.

At present, sixth-grade teachers target students who appear to be good candidates for the advanced math track in middle school. These students learn the seventh- and eighth-grade skills in one year so that in eighth grade they can take the Algebra I class available to high school freshmen. This makes it possible for those who take four years of math in high school to finish with a calculus class.

The data show that this isn’t working, Schneider said. Currently all seventh- and eighth-grade standards are covered in seventh-grade pre-algebra, a total of 56 standards. By only teaching the seventh-grade standards in seventh grade and the eighth-grade standards in eighth grade, it reduces the content by 32% and allows middle school teachers time for enrichment and intervention.

The teachers recommend offering the Algebra I class to freshmen, not as an eighth-grade accelerated course.

Offering Algebra I at the middle school level hasn’t helped more students take calculus in high school, the teachers reported. Only 39% of students on the advanced track who took geometry their freshman year were enrolled in calculus their senior year, looking at students from 2015-2018.

If a high school student does want to take calculus, the teachers suggest the student take both geometry and Algebra II during his or her sophomore year.

Meanwhile, GBMS has already adopted a plan of offering more electives. This can be expanded with math, science, music and art selections, all of which can use math, Haag said. Options include Personal Finance & Real World Math, seven different science electives and two levels of robotics.

Assistant Superintendent John Popp said the board could approve the change but it was his recommendation that it be treated as a “first reading,” with action at the Nov. 14 meeting.

The board followed that recommendation.