This project will improve the performance in Portuguese and Math of the students that reach the 3rd grade in one of the poorest regions of Brazil (Vale do Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais). It will work with approximately 16 schools, 500 students from 1st to 3rd grade, and 35 literacy teachers. It also will set up a local center to later disseminate this work in neighboring cities.
In Brazilian municipalities of low socioeconomic status, students' performance in Portuguese and Math is well below the desired level (QEdu.org.br). This problem is even worst in communities located in remote areas living in extreme poverty, where we have a high level of illiteracy (almost 30%). In these municipalities, the number of students that reach the 5th grade with the desired level of learning is 42% in Portuguese and 19% in Math.
We'll apply the social technology Synapse, an effective and scalable training program for elementary school teachers to improve the teaching and learning of Language and Maths. Synapse has already been tested and proved its efficacy in 13 municipalities in the Northeast of Brazil, involving 130 schools, more than 350 teachers, and benefiting more than 7,000 students.
In addition to being co-authors of the methodology, the trained teachers also act as disseminators in the next municipalities, consolidating a network and ensuring continuity and sustainability. The project will enable us to start scaling Synapse in one of the poorest regions of Brazil and to set up a local center with the competence to later disseminate Synapse in neighboring cities.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
