(Photo cutline: Renae Williams, TMS Assistant Principal; Jennifer Parten, Teacher; Sabrina Williams, Paraprofessional; Carla Layton, Special Education Coordinator;and Brad Elam, Principal.)
From Staff Reports
Ascend Education announced May 5 that Thomasville Middle School will receive a 2026 Gold Medal.
Thomasville City Schools would like to recognize Jennifer Parten and Sabrina Williams for their hard work and dedication in implementing Ascend Math, which is a new research-based math program.
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.
Thomasville Middle School is seeing impressive gains in student achievement following the implementation of Ascend Math. After facing challenges with low math performance and limited progress on standardized assessments, the school set ambitious goals to boost state test results and accelerate grade-level advancement, and is now seeing those efforts pay off. By meeting students at their individual skill levels, Ascend Math creates early wins that build confidence and momentum.
Engaging features like visual progress tracking and rewarding milestones keep students motivated, while immediate feedback supports continuous success and a renewed enthusiasm for learning. Students on the program have demonstrated measurable academic growth
In her submission for Thomasville Middle School, Carla Layton wrote, "Ascend Math ignores grade-level stigma and begins at each student's current functioning level. This allows our students to experience immediate, early success, which is crucial for building self-confidence."
“Congratulations to the students at Thomasville Middle 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 Middle 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, we've 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 Middle School will be featured on the Ascend Math website throughout the next year and will receive a plaque commemorating its success.