El Paso institutions receive $3.4M Gates Foundation grant for math education

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Two El Paso institutions are receiving a $3.4 million grant to both study the effects of and acquire High-Quality Instructional Materials meant to "help all students understand and break down complex math topics.

El Paso-based education advocacy group CREEED, together with the El Paso Community Foundation, announced Wednesday that the University of Texas at El Paso and Clint Independent School District will share a $3.4 million grant courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to "strengthen math outcomes for students in El Paso through the use of High-Quality Instructional Materials."

High-Quality Instructional Materials -- or HQIM -- are meant to take the burden off of educators, who often have to pay for class resources out of their own pocket and spend their own time developing curricula and lesson plans.

The grant will help Clint ISD roll out new HQIM for math, that will reportedly "help all students understand and break down complex math topics."

Meanwhile, UTEP's portion of the money will be used to research the impact of these materials, as well as best practices for using them.

Over the last five years, the UTEP College of Education has worked side-by-side with school district and philanthropic partners to elevate the preparation of teachers through an innovative, partnership-based residency model,” said Erika Mein, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Literacy/Biliteracy Education at the UTEP College of Education. “This initiative represents an opportunity to build on that strong foundation to focus on the implementation of high-quality curricula with one of our key partner districts, Clint ISD.

Given that some math practices can be deeply rooted in theory and the abstract, HQIM for the subject is meant to "help students understand the 'why' behind their math lessons."

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What's more, the HQIM is designed to be inclusive, so that the entire scope of learners -- from those with disabilities to those who are advanced and even ESL students -- can meet grade-level state standards.

“This partnership between CREEED, El Paso Community Foundation, Clint ISD, and UTEP demonstrates the El Paso community’s commitment to excellence in educating and supporting our students and educators,” said Nadia Tellez, Choose to Excel Director at CREEED. “Through this collaborative effort, we are cultivating an empowering learning environment, providing the highest quality materials to our students, and ensuring their greatest chance at success.”

The grant will allow Clint ISD to further its use of HQIM at the elementary, middle school and high school level, and work with US Prep, an organization dedicated to providing technical assistance and consultation for high-quality educator preparation, to create strategic staffing models that support each teacher to not only utilize these high-quality materials but enhance lesson delivery that will resonate with students and help them progress in math.

“At the core of the El Paso Educator Pipeline Community of Practice success is the spirit of collaboration between school districts, higher education, and community partners,” said Stephanie Otero, Vice President of Operations at the El Paso Community Foundation. “We are thrilled that Clint ISD has raised its hand to pilot the work to improve the implementation of High-Quality Instructional Materials. This includes both support for current teachers as well as a partnership with UTEP to embed HQIM implementation strategies in teacher preparation.”

Clint ISD started implementing the use of High-Quality Instructional Materials during the 2022-2023 school year,” said James Littlejohn, Clint ISD Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction. “The use of on grade-level curriculum is already paying dividends for students’ academic success. The grant will enable us to continue our work to align the use of HQIM across all grade levels and to better support our teachers and our students in its application. The final outcome will be to prepare our students for the rigors of college.

El Paso is one of just three regions in Texas to receive support from the Gates Foundation for this effort.

The Gates Foundation grant provides a critical investment in the El Paso community as educators and community organizations strive to improve educational attainment levels across the region.

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