County’s schools get California math/science partnership
grant
Five San Benito County school districts are part of a consortium
that will receive nearly $1 million per year for the next three
years from CaMSP, the California Math and Science Partnership Grant
Program. The consortium includes the San Benito High School
District, Aromas San Juan Unified, Hollister, North County, and
Southside School Districts, and was submitted by Phil Gonsalves,
the co-director of Alameda County Collaborative for Learning and
Instruction in Mathematics (ACCLAIM).
County’s schools get California math/science partnership grant
Five San Benito County school districts are part of a consortium that will receive nearly $1 million per year for the next three years from CaMSP, the California Math and Science Partnership Grant Program. The consortium includes the San Benito High School District, Aromas San Juan Unified, Hollister, North County, and Southside School Districts, and was submitted by Phil Gonsalves, the co-director of Alameda County Collaborative for Learning and Instruction in Mathematics (ACCLAIM).
Funding will provide professional development and math coaches for math teachers in grades three through 10. The coaches will observe and support math teachers in the classroom, deliver monthly training from ACCLAIM and conduct Summer Institute training. Participating elementary, middle and high school math teachers will strengthen their skills in order to more consistently provide best-practices methods and strategies.
San Benito High School Superintendent Stan Rose said he was thrilled with the news. Having math coaches that provide ongoing professional development and support in the classrooms will help to reinforce the lessons that teachers learn during training, he said. Most importantly, students will receive the benefit of seamless math instruction from grade three in elementary school through algebra class and beyond in high school.
Hollister School District Superintendent Ron Crates also expressed enthusiasm for the grant. Having math teachers consistently trained in the best instruction strategies will improve student achievement and help our students transition to the next level, he said.
During a recent presentation outlining the grant program, Gonsalves reinforced the importance of continuous teacher training and consistent math instruction: The best intervention is good instruction.
Pending the California Department of Education appeals process for grant award notifications, grant funding and program implementation is set to begin in the spring semester, 2010, and continue through the 2011-12 school year.
