Portsmouth Public Schools wins VDOE grant and expands ESL supports while adopting CRA math approach

Portsmouth Public Schools said it has won a competitive Virginia Department of Education grant to launch a summer-bridge math program and is expanding in‑district ESL staffing and professional development to support a growing multilingual learner population.

The division told the board it was selected from more than 250 applicants for the VDOE award to fund a summer-bridge program that uses high‑quality materials to help students master foundational skills before advancing to courses such as Algebra I. The district also announced an in‑house ESL teacher-preparation cohort: through an application process, 10 licensed Portsmouth teachers will receive training, classroom observations and support to add an ESL endorsement.

"The concrete representational and abstract method is a strong recommendation when we look at federally identified schools because it connects with what we can see and touch to how math works on paper," said Miss India Hatcher, one of the district math coordinators, describing the instructional approach known as CRA. Presenters said CRA uses physical manipulatives and visual representations in early grades and scales to algebraic reasoning (for example, algebra tiles and zero‑pair reasoning) so students can build conceptual understanding rather than rely on memorization.

The district described multiple implementation supports: coaching cycles for teachers, shared CRA‑aligned instructional resources, video models embedded in the division's instructional platform, and use of virtual manipulatives in adopted instructional materials. Presenters also noted that recent changes to assessments include technology‑enhanced drag‑and‑drop items that require students to move representations on screen, which the division said has increased the need for targeted professional development.

Board member Dr. Walker asked about measurable outcomes for students with disabilities. "I do think we see some improvement this year," the math presenter replied, saying early evidence is strongest in small‑group and one‑on‑one settings and that the district will continue progress monitoring to evaluate fidelity and impact.

The board received the report as informational; no formal action was taken. Presenters pointed to upcoming outreach and engagement opportunities including a March 21 elementary "mathematics basketball" event and summer programming funded by the VDOE grant.