U of I Professor to Lead $2.7 Million Grant to Support Math Learning in Rural Districts
May 27, 2020
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — May 27, 2020 —A University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene faculty member has secured a $2.7 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to establish and study online professional development for math coaches in rural school districts.
Julie Amador will lead the collaboration between U of I and University of Rochester in New York. The same team spent the past four years researching how to provide professional support for middle school teachers in rural areas.
“I am excited to be able to grow this opportunity to mathematics coaches, particularly during this time when there is such a need for online course delivery,” said Julie Amador, Ph.D., associate professor in curriculum and instruction at U of I and director of the Region 1 Idaho Regional Mathematics Center.
The award is through the NSF Discovery Research preK-12 (DRK-12) program, which provides grants to enhance education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computer science through innovative research and development.
Research will include cohorts of rural math coaches recruited from across the U.S. Over four years, coaches will take part in online courses, one-on-one interactions with coach mentors and study video of mathematics teaching to better support educators in rural areas.
“Educators in rural areas often lack access to people who teach similar subjects, grade levels or have similar responsibilities,” said Amador. “This work will allow mathematics coaches to meet others in similar teaching situations and form connections from which they can learn.”
The goal of the research is to create a model for virtual professional development that can be replicated across the U.S. and beyond.
The grant, titled “Synchronous Online Video-Based Development for Rural Mathematics Coaches,” is funded by the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers2006353 and 2006263. The total project funding is $2,728,687 of which 100% is the federal share.
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Media Contacts
Julie Amador
Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
208-664-7010
jamador@uidaho.edu
Katie Marshall
Marketing and Communications Manager, U of I Coeur d’Alene
208-664-7022
kmarshall@uidaho.edu
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to nearly 11,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu