Texas State University Awarded $679,000 to Help Latino Students Make Gains in Math Learning

Assistant Professor Maria Alejandra Sorto is collaborating with two school districts in Central Texas and the Rio Grande Valley to investigate teaching practices that demonstrate results from students in mathematics learning.  Eventually, the findings will be used to implement a Mathematics Bilingual Institute that would offer educators an opportunity to develop the tools and techniques needed to help Latino English Language Learners succeed in mathematics.

Sorto is uniquely equipped to conduct this study.  Originally from Honduras and coming to the United States when she was 19, Sorto was an English Language learning student studying mathematics herself.   Having conducted similar studies in Latin America, Sorto understands the teaching techniques that work for different types of students and how to integrate these techniques into U.S. classrooms.

"I want to use rigorous methodology to make sure more Texas schools are able to use the methods that work best to teach mathematics to English Language Learning Students," said Sorto.