Corner Middle School a Part of $1.1 Million Grant Study

Corner Middle School began work today with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the Jefferson County Board of Education Department of Curriculum and Instruction as part of a $1.1 million dollar grant study in our district (sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) designed to improve math instruction and student achievement in the selected schools.

In May, teachers in the math department at CMS conducted research and in-depth data analysis on curricular areas they felt require greater focus to help us better serve the students in our math classes in grades 5-8. They then wrote and submitted the grant application to Jefcoed and SREB to be a part of the study.

As one of ten schools selected by SREB, Corner Middle School math teachers will participate in a Network Improvement Community (NIC) study and throughout the school year, engage in a series of PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles to identify areas of growth specific to the needs of CMS learners, and receive funding for training and resources to assist in accomplishing their goals.

School administrators and district specialists were trained by SREB today, exploring the tools and the processes of improvement science, and administrators and math teachers from the school will be trained tomorrow as they work toward addressing individual school needs.

Over the course of the 2018-2019 school year, we plan to share more with our students, families, and community telling you what we've learned for the NIC, how we will apply it, and how we have grown and changed as a result.

Thank you to math teachers Rebekah Myers, Victoria Harris, Rachel Latham, and Jennifer Rouse for taking the time to conduct the research, write and then apply for the winning grant, and your commitment to improving student learning at our school and in our district!  We are proud of your hard work!

The other Jefferson County Schools chosen to participate in the SREB's NIC Grant study are Bragg Middle School, Irondale Middle School, Erwin Middle School, Minor Middle School, Minor High School, Gardendale High School,  Corner High School, Oak Grove High School, and Shades Valley High School. We look forward to learning with and from each of these outstanding schools!