A San Diego school gets national attention for having a one of the country's top math programs. KPBS reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.
Teachers and students at Balboa Elementary were treated to live Mariachi music after they got the good news. Computer chip maker Intel gave the school $170,000 for having the most successful math programs in the nation.
Parents say it all comes down to the math teachers, who develop lessons that encourage kids to use logic and critical thinking skills.
Teacher Amy Liu says their students are expected to come up with more than just the right answer.
Liu : People may not realize how rich our elementary mathematics program can be. And that we should not minimize it to just learning a few facts and a few skills.
Intel picked Balboa also because math scores here have soared over the past few years. Lui says that's a big deal considering the school is nestled in a poor Latino neighborhood, where three-quarters of the students are learning English as a second language.
Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.
