GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Dennis Walcott today announced a competition to get software developers building math apps for middle schoolers.

The latest development in Mayor Bloomberg’s effort to turn New York City into a technology hotspot involves getting software developers to tackle one of the city’s most intractable problems: middle school math scores.

In a new initiative, the App Gap Challenge, developers will compete to come up with innovative apps that improve middle school students’ math skills, Bloomberg and Chancellor Dennis Walcott announced today.

The initiative combines two of the Department of Education’s top priorities. For the last year, Walcott has focused on improving the city’s lagging middle schools. And Bloomberg said today that math has gotten short shrift for too long.

“Students who fall behind in middle school math are likely to remain behind through high school and less likely to graduate ready for college,” he said.

Principals, teachers, and department officials will join developers to judge app submissions. Winning proposals will net their developers financial and tech support, but any app entered into the competition could wind up in students’ hands next fall. (more…)