Lindsey Henderson is the Policy Director for Math policy at ExcelinEd.
Explore and compare how your state stacks up on our 11 fundamental math principles
Math proficiency is a passport to success in school. Yet far too many students are being left behind. Today, only 39 percent of 4th graders and 27 percent of 8th graders are proficient in math, marking a troubling decline over the past decade. This means that the vast majority of fourth graders struggle with such tasks as comparing and ordering whole numbers and understanding the relationship between addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Given these statistics, it is disconcerting that most states do not require basic math skills to be taught every day.
Beyond school, math proficiency also gives students the tools they need to succeed in the workforce and everyday life. From understanding personal finance to simply making smart consumer choices, math empowers students in all aspects of their lives. And, as students start moving closer to the workforce, a strong math foundation stands to facilitate their career success. But if schools continue to underdeliver, students will suffer.
That’s why ExcelinEd has developed Math Matters, a new digital playbook designed to help states strengthen K-8 math policy and improve student outcomes. Built using the latest research and policy data, Math Matters offers state-level insights and evidence-based solutions to help policymakers and education leaders ensure every student builds the math foundation they need for lifelong success.
This blog post explores how to use the new tool. You can also watch this short intro video where our math experts explain how the resource was developed and how states can use it.
At the core of Math Matters is ExcelinEd’s evidence-based Comprehensive K-8 Math Model Policy, which describes 11 fundamental principles that touch many points of the instructional system—from educator support and minimum instructional time requirements to family engagement and guaranteed access to advanced math courses.
These 11 fundamental principles are greater than the sum of their parts. When approached comprehensively, they establish a system in which math teachers are supported, instruction is data-driven, interventions are timely, parents are active participants, and Algebra I, or Integrated Math I, is prioritized for its role as a course critical in predicting college success.
ExcelinEd’s new digital playbook also provides resources on the goal of K-8 math, which is building math knowledge and skills through the Four Strands of Mathematical Proficiency, or procedural fluency (the ability to perform math procedures with speed, accuracy, efficiency and flexibility), conceptual understanding (knowing how and why math “works”), productive dispositions (seeing math as sensible, useful and worthwhile) and real-world problem-solving skills (connecting math to students’ lives).
It also includes a report on Data Science and Workforce Readiness, which provides key insights into employer demand for data science skills and how early math competency development leads the way for economic competitiveness.
Math Matters’ key feature is in presenting states with an individual report card, available through an interactive state map. Users can click on their state to see how their state aligns with the 11 fundamental math principles, and which areas show the most promise for improvement. Users can even filter by math policy category, such as “Supports for Educators” or “Ensuring Algebra I Success,” to examine targeted insights for their state.
Improving math outcomes goes beyond any single measure. It is about generating a comprehensive system of support for teachers and students alike, at every step. With Math Matters, policymakers, education leaders and educators have the tools and resources at their disposal to see what’s working, what is needed and how math policy reforms in individual states can ensure student success for life, work and beyond. When math outcomes improve for students, opportunities grow exponentially.
