He developed a highly interactive teaching technique that helped increase his student's performance in math. Since then, Project SEED has spread to numerous cities including Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area. The methodology, coupled with a focus on teacher training and parent involvement, is cited as Project Seed's winning combination. The program uses mathematicians and scientists to teach the high-level material. In a Project SEED class, students are asked at least 120 questions in a typical 45-minutes, explained Ebrahimi.
Teachers never say answers are wrong.
Instead, through questioning, they guide students to discover where they went wrong. One study found that SEED students had two and a half months of reading gains for every month of SEED instruction. Other longitudinal studies of SEED students show higher math scores on standardized tests, fewer students dropping out of school and higher self-esteem. Project SEED also has earned kudos from groups such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the U.S. Department of Education's Program Effectiveness Panel. The section includes activities in the language arts, math, science and social studies.