Through an innovative partnership with Suffolk County Community College, the high school has taken the next step in ensuring students’ success in their first year of college with the implementation of the ALEKS program in the Intro to College Mathematics course.

Deer Park is one of only 11 districts on Long Island that are piloting McGraw-Hill Education’s ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces), a computer-driven mathematics tool specially designed with the help of SCCC to cover all the material expected of an incoming student. The program serves to reinforce basic skills, reteach material students have struggled with and cover material they may not have been taught in previous classes. Motivated students even have the ability to go beyond the core material, which includes a curriculum of 781 topics, and delve into first-year college lessons as a means to push themselves ahead of their eventual peers. Students are not limited to working on ALEKS within the classroom; it can be accessed from any device capable of using a web browser.

“The ALEKS program is a unique chance for students to reach new mathematical heights that they might not ever thought possible,” said teacher Frank Miata. “There is no limit to the amount of material they can learn in this class. If a student’s goal is to strengthen their math skills to better themselves, raise their math score on the SAT or prepare for college, this course will ensure their success.”

One of the program’s best features is that it allows students to work at their own pace, fostering a sense of responsibility and accomplishment.

“It actually makes you pay attention,” said student Robert Boykin. “You have to do it on your own.”

“With ALEKS in the classroom, it is as if every student has their own personal tutor,” said Miata. “Our goal is to better every student and allow them to reach their full potential.”