Math Intervention Program in Urbana, IL
Urbana sits inside the Champaign–Urbana, IL metro (239,979 residents) and is one of the cities that metro is named after. That is not a technicality — it is where a large share of the area's schools and districts actually are.
Written for schools & districts · Champaign–Urbana, IL · ≈239,979 residents · 201st largest US metro · principal city
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.
Urbana metro at a glance
- Metro area: Champaign–Urbana, IL — Urbana is one of its named principal cities
- Population: ≈239,979 (201st largest in the US)
- State: Illinois · Region: Midwest
- Combined statistical area: Champaign–Urbana–Danville, IL
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 Illinois provided up front.
Questions Urbana 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.