Forest Park, IL...Proviso Township High Schools will partner with West 40 in a program designed to help school districts in west Cook County to improve students’ mathematical skills.

LSRI and West 40 will work with 11 school districts in west Cook County on a cross-district, mathematics-improvement initiative that is built around preparation for algebra in the middle grades and the teaching of algebra in eighth and ninth grades.

The program was welcomed into PTHS as a part of a comprehensive mathematics-improvement initiative developed to help improve student success rates in algebra through more effective middle-school mathematics instruction and more effective teaching of algebra.

“One of our major goals and priorities is to raise overall student achievement within District 209,” said PTHS 209 Assistant for Curriculum and Instruction Cheryl Pruitt. “We are working to identify initiatives that will ultimately improve the educational outcomes for our students. As a part of that effort we are working collaboratively with our feeder schools and West 40 to ensure that our students arrive prepared and equipped to handle high school curriculum. Through this initiative we also ensure that they are more equipped to perform in their freshman year and beyond.”

The program is a five year effort and will be implemented in Proviso as well as most of Proviso’s feeder school districts. The goal is to improve 8th and 9th grade students’ mathematics skills. Project activities fall into four categories: developing the mathematics capacity in participating districts; promoting teacher enhancement; improving middle grades mathematics instruction; and strengthening middle grades-to-high school articulation and 9th grade instruction in Algebra 1.

At PTHS, the first year of the project will emphasize building the districts’ mathematics leadership capacity and mathematics-support infrastructures. Broader programs and classroom interventions will receive greater emphasis during subsequent years.

###