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South Dakota
Counts grants awarded
The Department of Education has announced
that the state’s seven Education Service Agencies and the Sioux
Falls School District are recipients of South Dakota Counts
grants. The three-year, $3 million initiative targets math
instruction at the elementary level. It addresses one of the
primary goals of the Governor’s 2010 Education Initiative, which
is to ensure math and reading proficiency by third grade.
“South Dakota Counts is aimed at K-5
teachers, in an effort to deepen their knowledge of math content
and instruction. It will help them understand how
students learn math and, therefore, make them better teachers,”
said Dr. Rick Melmer, secretary of the South Dakota Department
of Education.
Education Service Agencies are regionally
based education cooperatives. They deliver services to schools
within their area. “Working through these agencies and the Sioux
Falls School District, we believe we can have a positive impact
on math achievement across South Dakota,” Melmer said. An
estimated 186 schools are expected to participate in the
program.
South Dakota Counts is designed to have a
ripple effect on math instruction. One teacher-leader per
participating school will go through intensive training. These
teacher-leaders will train other teachers in their school
buildings. Training begins this summer. The training will focus
on the type of knowledge students bring to the learning process
and how they connect that knowledge with formal concepts and
operations.
South Dakota Counts is made possible by a
federal grant through the Mathematics and Science Partnerships
program under Title II, Part B.
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