PRINCE EDWARD — Students taking algebra in the middle school can theoretically finish their math requirements for a standard diploma in the tenth grade.

Is that a good thing?

Maybe not.

Paul Nichols, president of the Virginia Advanced Study Strategies Inc., presented an update on the i3 Rural Math Excel Partnership grant at the County’s September school board meeting.

The problem with finishing the math trek in the tenth grade is that there is no math for two years.

“But teachers can preach that to kids all day long,” Nichols said. “And they’ll go, ‘Oh, no I don’t need any more math. I didn’t like it to begin with and I don’t want any more math.’ And, again, part of the motivation of this is trying to say. ‘No, you’ve got to keep your skills built because the jobs that are available to you that are paying what you want require that you have stronger math and science skills along the way…’”

The Rural Math Excel Partnership is one of three nationally selected components of the U.S. Department of Education’s innovation in education programs. Prince Edward is part of the region participating in the project. The aim of the development grant is to try to assist students in high school and middle school recognize that they are in school for more than a high school diploma, that they are preparing for real jobs. If the program works, then they could seek a scale-up grant and expand the project beyond the area.

“What we’re finding is that …there is such an emphasis on students being career and college-ready and, as we have…actually had an opportunity to engage business and industry and engage the universities, as well as the two year institutes like the local community colleges, we’re finding that when students go…from high school with full success with their SOLs so often…the two areas that they have the most difficulty in, as they move on and do remediation in, is in science and math,” Nichols said.

“And the math is the area that seems to be the biggest concern.”

Pulling from various sources they have identified four career areas as the most important to the region: advance manufacturing, IT, healthcare and energy.

“And we actually identified close to 50 technicians from each of these,” Nichols stated. “Our specific goal was to say that students should be at least prepared upon graduation from high school to enter into training for one of these entry level technical jobs in these four areas without having need of remediation,” he said.

They asked each of the technicians about the math they needed to do their job, worked with teachers to identify if the math was taught in the SOLs and where and what they would need to do to keep it fresh in the student’s mind.

Students will be able to supplement their math experience with Kahn Academy videos outside of class that cover all of the math requirements for the skills and accompanying assessments, and built lesson plans and worked with the teachers.

The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, aims at a shared responsibility model for students in Algebra I, Algebra II and geometry; the shared responsibility model is for parents, teachers and community–based organizations to play a supportive role in student learning.

Four training sessions were held with teachers over the summer where they had the opportunity to talk about the applied realities of what they teach. Technicians were also brought in to discuss what they do and how they use math, and then turned to the tools that the teachers will have available for use.

The grant, which runs to September 30, 2016, helps those identified as not having a tool to do the work or Internet access. An Android tablet will have the appropriate security and safety for students, meet all federal regulations and are tied down so that about all the students would be able to do is access school work they would be asked to do specifically in math. They will also get Internet access.

Throughout the region, Nichols offers, they have found roughly 40 percent of the students needing either Internet access or Internet access and the tablet. They are not available to all students, just those that need them.

Individual students will be able to track their own work in and outside of school with the program and have the ability to present essentially a digital portfolio, a life-long learning profile that they can take with them beyond school. They also can look at comprehensive career development information and focus on training programs to further their education to be prepared for specific jobs.

In addition, teachers have been asked to hold a family math night where they explain the program.

Beyond the duration of the grant, the tablets will come back to the school. Teachers would also be able to monitor a student’s progress.

Nichols cited they are working with 4-H in the communities to have a community event to reinforce the need for the skills. The first was held last year in Prince Edward.

Nichols cited that what they see from surveys is that American students, more than those in any other in other countries, don’t make the connection between what they’re doing in school and the real world of work.

In the long run, students just may be better able to see the value of math and a future job.