Thomasville High School

(Photo cutline: Elizabeth Sims, Paraprofessional; LaShonda Williams, Paraprofessional; Leslie Carpenter, Teacher; Carla Layton, Special Education Coordinator; and Eddie Armstead, THS Principal.)

From Staff Reports

Ascend Education announced May 5 that Thomasville High School will receive a 2026 Gold Medal.

The Thomasville City Schools District would like to recognize Leslie Carpenter, LaShonda Williams, and Elizabeth Sims for their hard work and dedication in implementing Ascend Math, which is a new research-based math program at Thomasville High School.

The Gold Medal Award was established in 2010 to honor schools or districts that best demonstrate a dedication to ensuring that all students succeed in math.

The strategies employed by this year’s Gold Medal honorees used Ascend Math, an online, individualized math instructional resource, to clarify and communicate a compelling vision for mathematics that unites administrators, coordinators, teachers, and parents. These schools used Ascend Math not only as an online instructional platform, but as a tool that provided educators with actionable data to guide direct, meaningful work with students and support stronger math outcomes.

Implementation strategies included targeted blended learning sessions in which students can speak about math to strengthen conceptual understanding, increase confidence, improve high-stakes test scores, and, in some cases, ultimately graduate from the intervention. They also implemented meaningful measurement tools that track progress and fuel ongoing momentum.

At Thomasville High School, Ascend Math has proven to be an effective solution for supporting middle and high school students with intellectual disabilities by addressing significant gaps in foundational math skills. Traditional instructional methods often failed to meet these students’ needs due to lack of differentiation, insufficient repetition, and limited scaffolding.

Ascend Math provides a structured, skill based, and individualized learning experience that allows students to work at their own pace while receiving immediate feedback and targeted practice. This has enabled teachers to better manage diverse learning levels within a single classroom while also accessing clear data for progress monitoring.

Since implementation, students have shown measurable growth in math skills, increased confidence,

and greater independence. Additionally, the program has enhanced student engagement and helped connect academic learning to real-world applications, improving functional life skills such as problem solving, money management, and decision-making.

In her submission for Thomasville High School, Carla Layton wrote, "I like the Ascend program because it helps address gaps in early math skills and assists students in developing functional math skills. Its consistent format allows students to focus on the skill being taught rather than figuring out how to navigate the platform. Additionally, it is very easy for teachers to implement with minimal planning."

“Congratulations to the students at Thomasville High School for their dedication and hard work, which led to these outstanding achievements,” said Kevin Briley, CEO of Ascend Education. “We are incredibly proud of the educators at Thomasville High School for creating a shared vision for mathematics, focusing on the goals that matter most, and building the instructional capacity needed to lead robust math experiences.

"Their commitment to helping students build confidence, deepen understanding, and make measurable progress is making a lasting difference.”

This year, Ascend Education has seen outstanding examples of schools using Ascend Math to align stakeholders around a clear vision for mathematics, focus on the most important goals, and equip educators to lead stronger math learning experiences. When these efforts are paired with targeted instructional structures and meaningful progress monitoring, students gain conceptual understanding, build confidence, improve performance on high-stakes assessments, and achieve lasting success.

Ascend Education is truly grateful for our Gold Medal schools, their dedication to students, and their willingness to share effective strategies, which are making a lasting impact on math learning nationwide.

Thomasville High School will be featured on the Ascend Math website throughout the next year and will receive a plaque commemorating its success.