The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform has been working under a CSR grant for several years to develop this tool kit aimed at middle grades based upon the findings of the Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel.   Partners in this multi-year project were the Forum, Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University, Turning Pointe at the Center for Collaborative Education, AIM at Educational Development Center, and Middle Start at Academy for Educational Development.  The final product will be a web-based resource for middle grades educators, including mathematics teachers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals, professional developers, and administrators, and other decision makers to support the learning needs of ALL students in mathematics.  

The Tool Kit is a set of resources that focus upon improving access to learning in mathematics for a variety of groups who often fall through cracks in our educational system, especially in terms of mathematics.  These include:

• Students learning English
• Students with special learning needs
• Students and teachers in rural settings
• Communities and families

The website is up and running now, and should be of help and interest to many folks in Virginia and across the country.  
The address is:   http://www.middlegrademath.org.

Educators looking for useful, educator-friendly reviews of the evidence supporting reading, math, and other programs -- including textbooks, computer-assisted instruction, and professional development approaches -- can find effectiveness ratings on the Best Evidence Encyclopedia (http://www.bestevidence.org). The website synthesizes the results of hundreds of studies by numerous researchers to rate the effectiveness of educational programs and practices.