The Maryland State Department of Education is joining the National Partnership for Student Success to tutor students in Maryland in secondary math proficiency, MSDE announced on June 22.
The program is intended to help students in grades 6-8, students taking any level of algebra, and “historically underserved students,” according to a press release.
Money from the investment will go toward the Maryland Tutoring Corps Grant Program, which will now have the ability to support more than 60,000 students in Maryland and over 800 tutors.
The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted MSDE’s decision to partner with NPSS. The program will help “mitigate long-term learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the program description.
“We have witnessed the profound impact of the pandemic on our children’s education, especially in math proficiency. But we refuse to accept the status quo,” said State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury in a statement. “Math proficiency was trending downward even before the pandemic. We must take action… Our goal is to seed a long-term, evidence-based math intervention that will provide ongoing support via a permanent tutoring corps to students who need it the most. By doing so, we can empower them with the tools and knowledge to thrive academically and transform their educational journey for years to come.”
Local education agencies (LEAs) are able to apply to MSDE for a piece of the grant. It is expected that the LEAs are able to fundraise on their own as well. The grants include a 2-1 match.
In this way, the $10 million investment can triple to $30 million while getting LEA networks and sources involved with the fundraising for the project.
Funds from the grant can go toward payroll for tutors, materials, supplies, and other things. Any payments from before the grant are not eligible for the state’s grant.
The application process to apply for a grant from MSDE is Aug. 15.
