Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Idaho School Gets Grant to Boost K5 Math Learning

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 06/30/16

An elementary school in Idaho will be ramping up its use of mathematics curriculum from Origo Education after receiving a grant from the company, accompanied by a matching grant from its parent-teacher association. West Ada School District will use the funds to bolster its efforts to improve math teaching in underserved communities.

The school is part of the West Ada School District, which has 36,000 students in 52 schools. According to the district, it regularly out-performs state averages on the Idaho Standards and Achievement Test by 10 percentage points.

Origo's K-5 math program, Stepping Stones, uses print and digital materials, including "Step It Up!" an online program that encourages parents to walk their students through additional lessons already covered in class, and Origo Gauge, an online assessment tool with questions presented in the style of PARCC or Smarter Balanced tests.

The school obtained the grant through the company's grant initiative, which also made awards to Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, FL, and Fulton County Schools in Atlanta. The announcement came during the International Society for Technology in Education 2016 Conference, taking place this week in Denver.

"The majority of mathematics-related grants awarded these days are allocated for technology implementation," said Mary Ann Ranells, superintendent of the West Ada school system, said in a prepared statement. "This presents challenges for schools that are looking to complement their current curriculum with additional classroom resources and materials We are grateful for ORIGO giving us this opportunity to enhance mathematics instruction and achievement at River Valley."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • digital graph

    Building Genuinely Data-Informed School Districts

    Schools today generate enormous amounts of data. The difference between collecting it and using it effectively often comes down to quality, access, and context.

  • large cloud icon on the right in an abstract world above a polygon with a dark blue background

    Cloud Security Alliance Expands Agentic AI Governance Work

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) has announced a series of CSAI Foundation milestones aimed at securing what it calls the agentic control plane, including a new catastrophic risk initiative, CVE Numbering Authority authorization, and the acquisition of two agentic AI specifications.

  • circuit patterns

    Anthropic Intros Lower-Cost Claude Sonnet 5

    Anthropic has launched Claude Sonnet 5, positioning the model as its most autonomous mid-tier offering to date and a lower-cost alternative to its flagship Opus 4.8 system. The company said the model can plan multi-step tasks, operate tools such as browsers and terminals, and complete agentic work at a level that previously required larger and more expensive models.

  • digital lock with circuit patterns

    IBM Adds New AI-Powered Cybersecurity Tools

    IBM has unveiled an expanded portfolio of AI-powered cybersecurity products, positioning the company to compete more aggressively in a rapidly evolving market where enterprises are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to defend against automated cyber threats.