ExxonMobil, Houston A+ Challenge Expand Math Initiative to HISD Middle Schools
from HISD Connect
May 11,2007
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ExxonMobil contributes $840,000 to develop program aimed at increasing student success and enhancing teacher instruction in math

Building on the successful Houston A+ Challenge/ExxonMobil K–5 Math Initiative, the ExxonMobil Foundation has once again partnered with the Houston A+ Challenge and HISD to expand the elementary math program into four West Region middle schools.

The ExxonMobil Foundation has contributed $840,000 to develop and launch the Houston A+ Challenge/ExxonMobil Middle School Math Initiative, which is expected to reach more than 5,000 middle-school students each year.

Launching in the fall of 2007, the Houston A+ Challenge/ExxonMobil Middle School Math Initiative will train and place one math specialist into each of the four participating HISD middle schools—Walter Fondren, Jane Long, Paul Revere, and Sharpstown. This full-time staff-support specialist will help teachers and administrators enhance their understanding and instruction of math in the classroom, and ultimately affect student achievement in mathematics.

“It is imperative that our children have a solid foundation in mathematics in order to be successful in the workplace and in life,” said Gerald McElvy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. “ExxonMobil has a strong commitment to improving math education in this country, and we believe that investing in our teachers and their professional development is the first step toward strengthening our education system.”

Since the inception of the K–5 Math Initiative, participating schools have seen an average of a 22-point gain on the math portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. During the 2005–2006 school year, 18 HISD elementary schools and 17 math specialists participated in the K–5 Math Initiative, which provides teachers and specialists with professional-development and training experiences through Houston A+ Challenge. Sixty-nine percent of the elementary schools that received additional professional development through the program scored higher than their district average on the 2006 TAKS math test.

“This type of joint initiative can really help bridge the gap we see in math education between American students and their international counterparts,” said Michele Pola, executive director of the Houston A+ Challenge. “The hands-on, interactive activities give students a different way of thinking about math and encourage them to think deeply about the subject. By offering new and different teaching strategies, we are able to increase student learning and teacher knowledge in mathematics. This particular formula creates a win-win situation—with an outcome of achievement and success for both the student and teacher.”

In addition, the Middle School Math Initiative will extend from the classroom into the home by teaching parents the very same lessons and concepts that their children are learning in school. Throughout the year, the highly trained math specialists and classroom teachers will lead Family Math Nights, a parent math-education series featuring “make and take” activities for parents to share with their children. These presentations will inform families of the career opportunities in math and engineering, and educate them about the high-school math classes their children will need to take in order to succeed in college.

“On the basis of the promising results we have seen from the K–5 Math Initiative, we are excited about the middle-school expansion and eager to see the impact it will have on the students as they continue the program,” said HISD Superintendent of Schools Abelardo Saavedra. “Thanks to ExxonMobil and Houston A+ Challenge, HISD students will be prepared to succeed in a world that is increasingly dependent on science, math, engineering, and technology.”

According to a 2003 Trends in International Math and Science Study, only 7 percent of U.S. fourth- and eighth-graders achieved an advanced level in mathematics, compared to 38 percent of their international peers.

To meet the challenge of improving student understanding and achievement in mathematics, ExxonMobil is committed to supporting programs and organizations that focus on improving math and science education from preschool to higher education. The company supports programs to increase the numbers of newly graduating highly effective science and math teachers, provide professional-development and training opportunities for teachers, and persuade bright, talented students to pursue science- and math-related disciplines in middle school, high school, and college.