The Math Academy for Promising Scholars is an academic program offered by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth in partnership with the Virgin Islands Department of Education. The program helps high-potential public school students in grades 5-8 in the U.S. Virgin Islands develop grade-level, and ultimately above-grade-level, fluency in high school math. Classroom teachers use a variety of identifiers to recommend students for the program.
Curriculum
The MAPS program consists of one math course per school year during grades 5-8, which replaces students’ traditional math course. Students work to complete guided lessons and assessments while having access to their virtual MAPS instructor outside of school for small-group and individual sessions. To remain in the program, students must stay on pace with their MAPS assignments and maintain at least an 80% average.
Benefits of the Program
- Bridges the achievement gap for high-potential students through a remediation-to-acceleration approach
- Offers differentiation and extension lessons in real-world scenarios and provides practice writing in math
- Offers project- and inquiry-based learning, with emphasis on growth mindset and self-reflection
- Offers a hybrid program format that includes access to multiple teachers; individualized review and reinforcement; virtual collaboration with peers; and field trip opportunities
Evaluation and Results
The Math Academy for Promising Scholars is evaluated annually by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Research and Reform in Education based on student test scores from the Smarter Balanced and i-Ready assessments; interviews with teachers, administrators, and families of students in the program; and student satisfaction surveys. After one year of participation in the program, MAPS students outscored non-MAPS students on standardized tests and showed significant achievement above their peers across grade levels.
For more information about CTY Math Academy for Promising Scholars, email [email protected]