Panther Valley School Board members last week got an update on some of the programs the district is using to track students’ progress.

Elementary Principal Robert Palazzo explained a program called IXL Learning, which is an assessment tool that allows teachers and administrators to monitor students’ performance across grade levels and to share data.

Teachers can use the program to support grade level instruction, as well as provide acceleration to students who are ahead, or remediation to students who are below grade level, he said.

Many programs being used look like games, this program looks like school work, Palazzo said.

“I think that’s important,” he said. “They need to be doing work that would look similar to what they would do on the PSSA or tests.”

The district is also looking at another program, Go Math 2023, which works with the IXL program.

Go Math included more practice with skills with each lesson, had less reliance on computer based instruction and increased opportunities for written work throughout the day, he said.

Teachers could also see students’ progress online and reach out to those who might need additional help, he said.

Both of the programs will be budget neutral, Superintendent Dave McAndrew said. The district had ESSER funds left as well as rural and low-income grants funds that will be used to pay for these programs, he said.

“So, basically, this is not going to affect our budget at all,” McAndrew said.