SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2009 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 652
Requesting the school divisions of the Commonwealth to consider using existing intervention, remediation, and at-risk funding to hire K-8 Mathematics Specialists as an effective means to improve the performance of low-achieving students. Report.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 26, 2009
Agreed to by the Senate, February 24, 2009

 

WHEREAS, Mathematics Specialists are teacher leaders with strong preparation and background in mathematics content, instructional strategies, and school leadership; and

WHEREAS, Mathematics Specialists are responsible for strengthening classroom teachers' understanding of mathematics content and helping teachers develop more effective mathematics teaching practices that allow all students to reach high standards, as well as for sharing research addressing how students learn mathematics; and

WHEREAS, Mathematics Specialists are currently in place in about 200 schools in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, initial results indicate that when compared with students in the control schools, students in schools with Mathematics Specialists performed better on the SOL Math test in each of grades 3, 4, and 5; and

WHEREAS, the Joint Subcommittee to Study Science, Math, and Technology Education in the Commonwealth at the Elementary, Secondary, and Undergraduate Levels (HJR 90, 2008) heard extensive testimony regarding the positive effect Mathematics Specialists have in the classroom; and

WHEREAS, the joint subcommittee made recommendations at the final meeting of the 2008 interim to support expanded use of Mathematics Specialists in the school divisions of the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the school divisions of the Commonwealth be requested to consider using existing intervention, remediation, and at-risk funding to hire K-8 Mathematics Specialists as an effective means to improve the performance of low-achieving students.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary and report of the progress of the school divisions in meeting the request of this resolution no later than the first day of the 2010 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary and report shall be submitted for publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.