Press Release: October 5, 2012
Brattle and RTI Partner to Develop a New Mathematics Program
October 5, 2012—Dallas, Texas and Monrovia, Liberia—Brattle
Publishing Group is working closely with Research Triangle
International and the Liberian Ministry of Education to develop a new
elementary mathematics intervention program. Liberia, a West African
nation of almost 7 million people, continues to recover from decades of
unrest and civil war. Few Liberian children are fortunate enough to
receive an education, and of those who do, very few graduate high school
to pursue a university education. The new program is part of a larger
effort by the Liberian government to rebuild its education system and
improve the quality of education in the nation.
“We were honored to be selected by RTI as their development partner for this very important effort,” said Richard Lena, co-Founder of Brattle Publishing Group. “After spending time in Liberia and seeing, first-hand, the efforts to rebuild the nation, we felt it important to craft a program that would instruct in basic mathematic skills and capitalize on the available resources and the perseverance of the Liberian people.”
Since 2011, BPG has worked with program author Dr. David Chard, Dean of Southern Methodist University’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development, to conceptualize and develop the mathematics program for grades 1–3. Innovative instructional methods and creative use of available materials in Liberian classrooms are designed to address the challenges of poor infrastructure and unqualified teachers. BPG also worked closely with Seattle-based Trillium Publishing and the United Kingdom’s HL Studios to design inventive program components including multi-volume teacher guides and student activity books for each grade.
Grade 1 components were completed in the spring of 2012 and pilots are happening this fall in 850 Liberian schools. Pilots are also being conducted in Kenya, which is rolling out a customized version of the program. RTI expects to make an immediate impact on student outcomes in both nations. Materials for grades 2 and 3 will be completed later this year and piloted in schools in early 2013.