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Educational Services » Effective Implementation Cohort (EIC) Grant

Effective Implementation Cohort (EIC) Grant

 

The Importance of a Strong Middle School Math Foundation

At the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, administrators, teachers and staff are committed to equity. As such, one of the district’s key pillars is Commitment to Equity whereby all students are able to access and excel in grade level content.


Research shows students of color or come from low income earning households have inequitable access to grade level mathematics materials. In fact, 38% of classrooms are composed of students of color who have no grade-level assignments and 70% of assignments in high-poverty schools are not on grade level.


Effective curriculum and instruction can have a direct impact on closing the achievement gap.

  • Curriculum selection has a statistically significant effect on student outcomes, rivaling costlier interventions.
  • Math textbook choice showed significant effects on test scores.
  • Access to rigorous coursework increased student achievement for Black and Latino students 
  • Curriculum must be part of an integrated delivery model to drive change in teacher behavior. This leads to an even greater impact on student outcomes.

 

Background

MPUSD is home to three middle schools - Los Arboles Middle School in Marina, Seaside Middle School in Seaside, and Walter Colton Middle School in Monterey - which currently includes 1,942 middle school students in grades 6th, 7th, and 8th. 


In 2021, MPUSD became a recipient of a two-part grant focused on improving outcomes for middle school students in mathematics. The grant is offered through community partners - Unbound Ed, CORE, and Pivot - for three years.


The first part of the grant prioritized planning and a diverse group of stakeholders came together from January - June 2021 to research, discuss and plan an integrated professional development approach focused on what teachers are learning is aligned to how and what they are teaching to better support students. 


The second part of the grant focuses on the scope and sequence of the professional development to teachers, and includes:

  • Pedagogy training from CORE
  • Integrated curriculum support from Ready Classroom Math
  • Leadership and program evaluation support from PIVOT, including instructional rounds, instructional core equity training supported by UnboundEd

MPUSD will harness the power of community partners to have a significant positive impact on middle school student math.


  • UnboundEd: Develops district capacity for equitable instruction and provides training aligning equity and the instructional core.
  • CORE Curriculum: CORE will observe current teaching practices and offer knowledge, skills and training to enhance mathematics teaching that supports teachers and ultimately allows students to be successful in mastering middle school math.
  • Pivot: Pivot will work collaboratively with school site leaders to administer instructional rounds to observe teachers in the classroom and offer insights to maximize instruction, including instructional core equity training. Instructional rounds, increases leadership classroom “understanding what a modern math class looks like.”
  • Ready Classroom: Ready Classroom Math provides an integrated mathematics curriculum.
  • MPUSD: Adopt aligned materials and prioritize resources for multi-year, equity-focused implementation work.

At MPUSD, the district will focus on:


  • Data-driven decision making and collaborative staff
  • Coherent instructional systems
    • High quality curriculum and tools
    • Curriculum-based professional learning
    • Regular observation and feedback
  • Community ties
  • Social emotional learning

Key Benefits

  • Reignite the district’s Ready Classroom math curriculum adoption, which was interrupted COVID-19.
  • Implement a fully integrated math approach that aligns curriculum, pedagogy, leadership and equity.
  • Teachers and students will understand math instruction in a more integrated way.
  • The district implements high quality curriculum materials.
  • Students will realize the benefits because the district helps teachers reimagine what a math class could look like outside the mold of a traditional math class.

Planning Group Stakeholders

  • Academic Coaches
  • Mathematics Teachers
  • School Site Leaders
  • District Leaders
  • Grant Partners
  • Members
    • Project Sponsor: Cresta McIntosh
    • Project Driver: Sean True
    • Implementation Team:
    • Equitable Instruction | Julie Alderete
    • Measurement and Continuous Improvement | Allison Leleua and Adam Swinney
    • Professional Learning Teachers | David Collyer, Rebekah Corbishley, Sunny Cordoba
    • Professional Learning Coaches | Meghan Armfield-Webb, Kim Kellam
    • Professional Learning Principals | Reggie Breland, Rita Burks, Adam Swinney
    • Communications | Marci McFadden

Timeline

Spring 2021: Planning Grant

  • Partnership with UnBound, Core and Pivot to plan implementation

 

Fall 2021 - Summer 2024: Three-Year Implementation Grant

  • Building the capacity of teachers and school and district leaders
  • Building sustainability in MPUSD’s system