RICHMOND (WSLS 10) - The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) announced it awarded four grants totaling more than $811,000 to increase content knowledge and sharpen classroom skills of teachers in science and mathematics.
VDOE said in a release the ultimate goal is to increase science and math skills among students through better training for teachers. Teachers will receive the training at colleges and universities as part of the Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) grant program.
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The four grants are in addition to nine partnership grants totaling more than $1.6 awarded in March to support similar efforts.
The grants were given for professional development proposals supporting the implementation of Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL). The 2015-2016 MSP grant program was designed to provide up to three years of support and services to schools and teachers.
More than $511,000 was awarded to fund the following two mathematics projects:
- Southern Virginia Elementary Mathematics Coalition to Enhance Student Achievement through Teacher Professional Development – $376,983 for the College of William and Mary, Longwood University and the Virginia Mathematics & Science Coalition to serve 134 teachers in five school divisions (Charles City County, Franklin, King and Queen County, Mecklenburg County and Prince Edward County).
- Innovative Mathematics Partnership for Rural Elementary Schools (IMPRES) – $134,502 for Longwood University and Virginia State University to serve 24 teachers in two school divisions (Sussex County and Brunswick County).
- Nearly $300,000 was awarded to fund the following two science projects:
- Knowledge through Experience for Youth in Science (KEYS) – $169,224 for Old Dominion University to serve 40 teachers in two school divisions (Norfolk and Portsmouth).
- Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) Middle/Junior High-Elementary Literacy Integrated with Science (MELIS) at VCU – $130,593 for Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia State University to serve 50 teachers in Petersburg schools.