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Math Initiative

Sponsored by The Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, Anthony Chan, Grant Services Manager from Texas LEARNS, and Araceli Avila, Education Specialist from Region XX Education Service Center, attended a GED Mathematics Training Institute in which the findings of an analysis conducted by the GED Testing Service (GEDTS) were revealed.  The analysis pointed out the four most commonly-missed areas of the GED mathematics test—

• Geometry and Measurement
• Reading and Interpreting Graphs and Tables
• Application of Basic Math Principles to Calculations
• Problem Solving and Mathematical Reasoning

To target these four problem areas and raise scores on the GED mathematics test across our state, Texas LEARNS, assisted by Dr. Rebecca Davis and her staff from the Texas A&M University-Kingsville South Region GREAT Center, formed The Texas Adult Basic Education Statewide GED Mathematics Institute. It consisted of two three-day training sessions in which  Anthony Chan and Krista Young, GED teacher at Abilene ISD, provided master trainers with the tools necessary for improving math instruction and who, in turn, will be able to train their peers throughout the state of Texas.

The master trainers received materials that included sample questions from each problem area and an analysis of common errors that cause students to miss the mathematics questions.  They are equipped to share with other GED math teachers how to identify the skill gaps, share specific ideas on how to incorporate those skills into classroom instruction, and also provide resources such as math websites and videos of lessons created by the master trainers and the Multimedia Department staff of Cy-Fair College in Cypress, Texas.

This training is available for every Adult Education program statewide and can be requested through each region’s Great Center. After the initial training, if the Adult Education program would like to have follow-up and mentoring for their teachers, please call John Hodges at (361) 593-2755.

The state-approved master trainers from the Texas Adult Basic Education Statewide GED Mathematics Institute are as follows:

Tim Bickerstaff (Community Action Inc.)
Walter Bundy (Trinity Valley Community College)
Mary Alice Carlson (Community Action Inc.)
Agatha (Gayle) Carroll (Odessa College)
Katherine Dowdy (Austin Community College)
Kenneth Fahndrick (Region VI Education Service Center)
Dirk Hodges (Cleburne ISD)
John Hodges (Del Mar College)
Denise Johnson (Houston Community College)
Virginia Marek (Advocacy Outreach)
Kelly Meeks (Navarro College)
Serapio Serna (Alice ISD)
Krista Young (Abilene ISD)