Organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties recently won more than $1 million to tackle the achievement gap in math skills among middle-school students.

The Mountain View-based nonprofit Silicon Valley Community Foundation awarded $1,093,498 to 16 recipients, including school districts and universities.

The grants will allow more than 350 teachers to receive focused professional development in middle-school math instruction. These educators will then serve as mentors and advisors to other teachers.

This teacher development should help close the performance gap between underprivileged students and their peers, the foundation said.

“We know that disparities in the quality of education that students receive underlie the achievement gap,” foundation President Emmett Carson said. “Great teachers ensure that all students can succeed in middle-school math and beyond.”

The grants include $120,169 for an algebra project serving the Bayshore, Brisbane, San Carlos and Belmont-Redwood Shores districts; $75,000 to support teachers in the Jefferson and Pacifica districts; and another $75,000 for a math program in the Ravenswood district.