Cisco Makes National Impact
When Tylicia transferred to third-grade at Occohannock Elementary in Virginia ’ s Northampton County , her teachers described her as polite but extremely quiet in class . She was failing math , but wouldn ’ t ask questions when she needed help .
Two months into the school year , Tylicia had what her teacher describes as a breakthrough moment . She had created her own place value chart on a white board to work through a series of ST Math problems on the computer . “ It wasn ’ t a strategy any one had given to her , and she was able to explain to me how she was using this tool she ’ d created ,” says third-grade math teacher Jenna Bassette . “ She was problem solving independently .”
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Based on the at-scale national data and Arizona outcomes , both quantitatively and anecdotally , I came away impressed with the potential impact ST Math can have on our schools .
-- Rich Crandall , Director of the Wyoming Department of Education and former Arizona State Senator
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Tylicia is one of 6,000 Virginia students who began piloting ST Math in 2012 with a grant from the Cisco Foundation . With the 22-school Virginia pilot , Cisco and MIND Research aim to repeat the successful outcome of their partnership in Arizona schools , launched in 2011 . Results there prompted then-State Senator Rich Crandall to take notice and tour schools implementing the program . “ Based on the at-scale national data and Arizona outcomes , both quantitatively and anecdotally , I came away impressed with the potential impact ST Math can have on our schools ,” he said .
This is exactly the kind of meaningful difference Cisco and the Cisco Foundation intended to make through their repeated investments in MIND Research ’ s programs , according to the foundation ’ s executive director , Peter Tavernise . One of the Cisco Foundation ’ s priorities is fostering excellence in science , technology , engineering and math – the so-called STEM fields – particularly for underserved students . To that end , Cisco and the Cisco Foundation have supported schools in California ’ s Silicon Valley , Arizona and Virginia , as well as provided infrastructure for national and web-based delivery of
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