Area Schools To Benefit From OU Math & Literacy Grant

Article Presented By McDonald’s

(Athens) – Ohio University’s Patton College of Education was recently awarded a $592,994 Statewide Mathematics and Literacy Tutoring Grant for programs in southeast Ohio for the next two academic years starting this fall.

Given by the Ohio Department of Education in partnership with the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the grant will be used for six new or expanded professional development school partnerships to support high dosage, standards-aligned, elementary and/or middle-level literacy and mathematics tutoring programs.

Approximately 120 Patton College teacher candidates from the Athens, Eastern, Chillicothe and Lancaster campuses will tutor 2,000 students with the grant’s help. Benefiting schools are: 

• Eastern Local, K-5 literacy and mathematics
• Bridgeport Elementary, K-4 literacy and mathematics
• Union Local Elementary, K-5 literacy and mathematics
• Zane Trace Elementary, K-4 literacy and mathematics
• Amanda Clearcreek Primary, K-2 literacy
• General Sherman Middle, 6-8 literacy

“This synergistic effort shows the Department of Teacher Education’s strong commitment to positively impacting student learning across Ohio University’s sphere of influence and in collaboration with our school district partners,” said Danielle Dani, professor and chair of Patton’s Department of Teacher Education. “The literacy and mathematics tutoring work will help address the learning gap imposed by the pandemic and provide future teachers authentic and meaningful opportunities for clinical practice.”  

Students receiving literacy tutoring will receive at least 65 hours over 30 weeks in Ohio standards-focused sessions that utilize evidence-based strategies. Similarly, students will receive at least 50 hours of tutoring in standards-focused mathematics, depending on the agreement with the partnering schools.

“The pandemic hit the rural schools in our area hard with issues dealing with technology and virtual teaching,” said Debra Dunning, associate professor of instruction and program coordinator for the Early Childhood Elementary Education and Child Development Programs at Ohio University Lancaster, adding that it changed the field of education and the process of teaching forever. “This grant gives us an opportunity to reach students personally and work with them to not only build their skills, but also their confidence and self-esteem in the areas of math and reading.”

The tutoring programs will be evaluated periodically for impact and effectiveness; if they are found to be an effective model to advance the goals of all stakeholders, Patton and school administration partners will investigate establishing earmarked and additional funds to continue the effort.