Jo Lynne DeMary

Superintendent of Public Instruction

SUBJECT:

Regional Academies to Ensure Success in K-8 Mathematics for Limited English Proficient (LEP) and Economically Disadvantaged Students

The Department of Education will sponsor a series of three two-day regional academies. The purpose of the academies will be to provide high-quality professional development for teachers in school divisions that need assistance in meeting the adequate yearly progress (AYP) targets in mathematics for LEP and economically disadvantaged students. The academies will be conducted by the nationally known mathematics project, EQUALS Programs, developed at the University of California, Berkeley. They will focus on innovative teaching strategies and practices that ensure success in mathematics for the targeted students in grades K-8.

The academies will be held in Richmond, Roanoke, and Williamsburg concurrently for a total of three two-day sessions for each academy. School divisions are encouraged to send a team of two K-8 grade mathematics teachers from schools with the greatest needs in addressing mathematics performance for LEP and economically disadvantaged students. Participants must attend all six sessions in the series. Attendance will be limited to 60 participants per site.

A breakdown of dates, locations, and suggested school division attendance by region is listed below.

Location Dates

Regions I, IV and VIII January 12-13, 2005

Holiday Inn Select Koger Center February 16-17, 2005

Richmond, VA April 13-14, 2005

Regions V, VI and VII January 12-13, 2005

Wyndham Roanoke Airport Hotel February 16-17, 2005

Roanoke, VA April 13-14, 2005

Regions II and III January 12-13, 2005

Radisson Fort Magruder February 16-17, 2005

Williamsburg, VA April 13-14, 2005

Registration for all three academies will be managed by the Office of Continuing and Professional Education at Virginia Tech. Materials, lunch, and breaks will be provided. Travel and lodging will be reimbursed at the state rate. For those in need of lodging, a block of rooms at the state government rate has been reserved at each location. Please contact the hotel directly and make reference to the reservation group code as specified for your location in Attachment A to make the reservations.

Attachment A contains detailed information about the location of each academy, hotel, and reservation deadlines; a registration form for the academy; and an outline of the program objectives. If you have questions about the EQUALS project, please go to www.lawrencehallofscience.org/equals.

Registration forms should be returned by fax to the conference registrar at Virginia Tech at (540) 231-3306 on or before December 15, 2004. Upon registration receipt, confirmation and driving directions will be sent to each registrant.

For information on these academies, contact Duane C. Sergent, reports and grants manager, dsergent@mail.vak12ed.edu, at (804) 371-2929. For registration information, please contact the conference registrar, Nancy Rakes at Virginia Tech, (540) 231-5182 or nancyr@vt.edu.

JLD/RS/dcs

Attachment

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2004/inf234a.pdf