Parkway and St. Louis Public Schools Announce Partnership to Improve Achievement in Math

The Parkway School District and St. Louis Public Schools recently received approval for a $1.5 million federal grant to focus on middle school mathematics instruction. The goal of the program is two-fold: to improve achievement in middle school mathematics by developing teaching strategies that effectively develop student understanding of mathematics, and to package and share those strategies with others. The U.S. Department of Education is funding the three-year program. Partners in the grant include Maryville University faculty and several nationally known professional consultants in the fields of mathematics education and program evaluation.

The “Mathematicians in Residence” grant will provide a three-week summer program each year in which up to 84 mathematics teachers receive intensive professional development, mentoring and coaching that they apply in classroom settings with 200 middle school students (entering sixth, seventh, and eighth grades) from participating districts. The program will begin in summer 2008.

Middle school students who have previously struggled in mathematics but are “aspiring mathematicians” will be invited to apply for the summer academy. Selection criteria will include scores on standardized tests such as MAP, performance on local district assessments, and teacher grades and recommendations. Participating students will attend class for three hours each morning during the academy and will be provided with transportation and breakfast. The academy will have small class sizes and a low student-teacher ratio.

“The district believes that quality mathematics instruction is an integral part of a student’s education and a crucial requirement for future success,” said Paula Knight, executive director of curriculum and instruction for St. Louis Public Schools. “This innovative collaboration with Parkway School District and Maryville University will provide our teachers with the tools to help all of our students not only learn math, but excel in it.”

Denise Pupillo, Parkway curriculum coordinator for gifted services and coordinator for district grants and funding said, “This is a chance for two large school districts to make history and impact education -- locally, statewide and across the nation -- in a huge and powerful way!”

Immediate feedback and evaluation will take place daily among teachers in collaboration with Maryville staff and professional consultants during the summer school sessions. Teachers will also engage in ongoing professional development throughout the school year. The resulting program, as it is refined over the three-year period, will be packaged and made accessible to teachers and other institutions in Missouri and nationwide.