BALDWIN PARK – Baldwin Park Unified will spend $593,903 to enhance math and science instruction for disadvantaged youths in grades six through 11 in 2015-16, the first installment of a $1.5 million, three-year grant.

The California Mathematics and Science Partnership grant is among $18.2 million going to 28 school districts and county offices of education announced Thursday by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

“This award recognizes the strength of Baldwin Park Unified’s commitment to providing the strongest possible instruction in mathematics for all of our students,” Superintendent Dr. Paul Sevillano said.

The partnership is a federal grant administered by the state Department of Education. It provides professional development for teachers in science, technology, math and science, or STEM. To qualify, four in 10 students must be low income.

Baldwin Park Unified will work with the University of California, Irvine Math Project to provide math teachers with 30 hours of professional development in August and 30 hours during the school year, Assistant Superintendent Chelsea Kang-Smith said.

Teachers will spend an additional 24 hours working together to develop and refine classroom lessons.

The grant will pay for teachers to attend professional development activities at the California Mathematics Council Conference, one the largest such conferences in Southern California. The grant will fund hands-on lesson planss and manipulative activities for students and additional math resources for teachers.

“These programs will provide our teachers with a host of new resources and skills as they collaborate on innovative and dynamic ways to reach our students,” Sevillano said.