Public middle schools; programs of instruction.

Public middle schools; programs of instruction; Middle School Mathematics Innovation Program established. Establishes the Middle School Mathematics Innovation Program, to be administered by the Department of Education (the Department), for the purpose of assisting school divisions, in partnership with a certain provider, to be selected by the Department in accordance with criteria set forth in the bill, in the implementation of personalized, competency-based mathematics education and evidence-based mathematics learning models in mathematics courses offered in grades six through eight in any public middle school designated as a mathematics innovation school. Any public middle school may apply for the mathematics innovation school designation. The bill directs the Department to give preference to public middle schools that (i) demonstrate a need for support based on data from the immediately preceding school year on the Standards of Learning mathematics assessment results for grades six, seven, and eight; (ii) are located in rural areas; or (iii) are located in economically disadvantaged areas.