The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has signalled one of its new focus areas: improving 鈥渕iddle years鈥� math for black, Latino, and low-income students and strengthening the teaching of the subject.
The foundation is inviting feedback on , seeking information on programs, instructional models, and tools for improving teaching and learning in this area that seem promising. It鈥檚 especially interested in what it calls 鈥渂reakthrough鈥� results, defined as making more than a year鈥檚 progress toward grade-level expectations, high levels of proficiency on year-end tests, or demonstrating high levels of student engagement or motivation that show promise in deepening math learning.
鈥淏ecoming a high performer in mathematics, as a student, ultimately unlocks power. It opens up a world of opportunities for students to have access to colleges and careers where they can thrive,鈥� Gates officials write in the request for information.
The foundation has an expansive idea of what middle-years math consists of, saying that these interventions could focus on grades 3-9, which would include everything from initial fractions study to algebra. So despite the name, this is not limited to middle school-age children. And it鈥檚 also inviting a wide range of parties to provide feedback, from nonprofits and for-profit organizations to researchers and summer school providers.
In all, this will be a piece of the approximately $425 million the Gates Foundation plans to put into research and development鈥攁 quarter of its new $1.7 billion investment announced last October.
The foundation hasn鈥檛 yet issued a formal request for proposals, so it鈥檚 not clear how much it will spend specifically on the middle-years math research. As it did earlier this year with improvement networks, Gates will use the feedback it receives to craft its RFP. (It ).
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