Georgia State University’s College of Education & Human Development (CEHD), Clayton County Public Schools and Curriculum Associates will partner on a new program to work with middle school teachers implementing the county’s math curriculum in their classrooms.

The partnership will allow CEHD faculty and doctoral students to collaborate with master teachers and coaches to provide supplemental support to Clayton County middle school teachers implementing the math curriculum. The work is supported by a two-year, $1.2 million grant to CEHD from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"Educators play the critical role in supporting student learning, and it is essential they receive aligned professional learning when implementing new curriculum," said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates, a company that designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. “We are proud to partner with Georgia State University to ensure Clayton County Public Schools educators receive the highest quality support as they implement Ready Mathematics 6-8 and i-Ready.”

The goal is to provide ongoing professional learning opportunities for teachers that will help them effectively teach the math curriculum and improve student achievement, particularly for students of color and those who live in low-income communities.

“Clayton County Public Schools is very excited to be part of this newly-created Gates Foundation initiative that aligns with our work to cultivate a culture of high performance throughout our district and our community,” said Morcease J. Beasley, Clayton County Public Schools superintendent. “Through this partnership with Georgia State University and Curriculum Associates, I believe our middle school teachers will provide our students with the quality of instruction needed to become distinguished level learners who will successfully complete advanced level courses and graduate from high school as college- and career-ready adults.”

In addition, the grant team will develop manuals and teaching modules that other school systems in Georgia and around the country can use to implement this math curriculum at the middle school level.

“This partnership will collectively help school districts and school-level coaches support teachers who are implementing high-quality math curriculum,” said Gwen Benson, principal investigator and CEHD associate dean for faculty development and partnerships. “We want to put middle school students on a path to success in their math classes.”