Project MERIT (Mathematics Education Reform Initiative for Teachers), a program designed to enhance the professional development of middle school teachers throughout West Virginia, was featured in a full-page article in "It's About T.I.M.E. (Technology in Math and Science Education)," a publication produced by Texas Instruments.
According to Larry Lamb, mathematics coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Education, a group of 35 middle school teachers received training on the TI-73 graphing calculator in October 1998 and May 1999. The training qualified the teachers to become members of a Mathematics Leadership Team (MLT) created to train other teachers throughout the state. Members of the MLT then passed on their knowledge to 300 more West Virginia teachers in June and July 1999.