Shorter University and Floyd County Schools receive grant from Georgia Department of Education

April 14, 2011 - Shorter University and Floyd County Schools have received a grant from the Georgia Department of Education that will fund professional development training for teachers of mathematics (grades 3-12) and science (grades 6-12). The $598,810 Math/Science Partnership Grant is the largest awarded by the Georgia Department of Education this year.

Through this partnership, Shorter and Floyd County Schools will provide three weeks of workshops during the summer that will focus on improving math and science instruction. Math and science faculty members at Shorter University will provide the in-depth, hands-on training at the university’s state-of-the-art School of Nursing. The partnership will continue throughout the school year through online collaboration and Professional Learning Communities.

 “Shorter and Floyd County have worked together for two years to provide this type of training for math educators thanks to a previous grant from the Department of Education,” said Dr. Sandra Leslie, dean of Shorter University’s School of Education. “When it came time to apply for an extension, we decided to include science as well because math and science are both areas of great need within our state.”

Dr. Leslie added that this type of training is a crucial need for school systems due to the state’s new curriculum requirements, particularly in math. “The new requirements mean, for example, that someone who may have been teaching algebra for 20 years now also has to teach geometry, calculus and stats as a part of Math I, II, or III. That creates a huge demand for professional training. We are happy to partner with Floyd County Schools to make our faculty experts available to them. The grant allows us to have our faculty to serve, not only through the summer symposium sessions, but also as Professional Learning Community facilitators throughout the school year.”

Dr. Leslie will be the higher education coordinator for the program, and Dr. April Childers of Floyd County Schools will serve as the grant director.

Dr. Childers commented, “This is an excellent opportunity for our school system and teachers. I am excited about our summer plans and look forward to working with Shorter professors and Floyd County Schools teachers throughout the next year.”

The grant was co-authored by Stephanie Graves, director of foundation relations at Shorter University, and Dr. Childers.

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christian University committed to excellence in education. Since 2003, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Shorter among the South’s best baccalaureate colleges. The University offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 48 major areas as well as undergraduate degree programs for working adults, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Arts in Leadership and the Master of Accountancy.  Online courses and degree programs are also available. For more information, visit www.shorter.edu.

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