Math Intervention Program in Detroit, MI
Detroit is the 14th-largest US metro (4,390,913 residents). At that scale, a math program succeeds or fails on implementation fidelity, not on features. Everything below is written for the person who has to run it, not the person who has to buy it.
Written for schools & districts · Detroit–Warren–Dearborn, MI · ≈4,390,913 residents · 14th largest US metro
What we actually do
A Tier 2 or Tier 3 math intervention has to do three things an ordinary program does not: diagnose the specific skill gap, target it daily with fidelity, and produce documentation that survives an MTSS review. Progress monitoring is not a feature here, it is the point.
Detroit metro at a glance
- Metro area: Detroit–Warren–Dearborn, MI
- Population: ≈4,390,913 (14th largest in the US)
- State: Michigan · Region: Midwest
- Combined statistical area: Detroit–Warren–Ann Arbor, MI
- Local resources: Detroit family resources
Start with the foundation
The academic engine sits on the Ellis Abel Learns social-emotional series, which matters more in a school setting than a home one: the students furthest behind in math are usually the students who have stopped being willing to be wrong in front of a class. Rebuilding that willingness is part of the intervention, not a soft add-on to it.
Ellis Abel & The Big Test
Lesson: test anxiety
Ellis Abel faces the biggest test of the school year and learns that preparation, self-belief, and calm breathing beat worry every time.
Ellis Abel & The Scary Playground
Lesson: facing fears
A new playground feels big and scary until Ellis Abel discovers that courage means trying even when you're afraid.
Ellis Abel & The Red Block
Lesson: frustration and problem-solving
When the red block won't fit, Ellis Abel learns to pause, breathe, and try a new way instead of giving up.
Ellis Abel & The Disciple
Lesson: mentorship and character
Ellis Abel learns what it means to follow a good example and to become someone worth following.
Ellis Abel and the Two Wolves Within
Lesson: self-talk and choices
Two voices compete inside every choice. Ellis Abel learns that the wolf you feed is the wolf that wins.
Ellis Abel & The Magic Triangle
Lesson: growth mindset
Effort, practice, and patience form the magic triangle that helps Ellis Abel turn 'I can't' into 'I can't yet.'
Next step
Pilot terms are available for a single grade band, with purchase orders accepted and a standards mapping document for Michigan provided up front.
Questions Detroit administrators ask
- Does it support MTSS documentation?
- Yes - baseline, intervention log, progress-monitoring data points and growth against goal, exportable.
- Tier 2, Tier 3, or both?
- Both. Tier 3 runs at higher frequency with a narrower skill focus.
- How often is progress monitored?
- Continuously, with weekly snapshots aligned to typical MTSS review cycles.