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(Photo via Creative Commons/Flickr by Omar Sharif)

WHEN THE SCORES from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test were released earlier this fall, they delivered a jarring illustration of the impacts of two years of disrupted learning. The pandemic eradicated two decades of progress, as math scores dipped for the first time since NAEP started tracking student achievement in the 1970s. It also highlighted and exacerbated inequities that have been a persistent reality in mathematics education. This moment provides an urgent call for swift action and significant investment to address pandemic-related impacts and to drive toward an equitable mathematics education for all students.

In recognition of this critical moment, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced in October it is shifting its entire $1.1 billion K-12 portfolio exclusively to math initiatives over the next four years. Prioritizing a comprehensive strategy for mathematics improvement is exactly what we need to do right now.

We know that students’ experiences with K-12 mathematics is a significant predictor of a range of important long-term outcomes, including postsecondary and career success. We know that mathematical knowledge helps students develop key 21st-century skills, including critical thinking and problem solving. We also know that too many students across the country have not had equitable access to high-quality math curriculum, qualified math teachers, and other resources necessary to develop strong mathematics identities and to succeed in math. This is especially true for Black and Latinx students, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. We can and must do better.

The Commonwealth, with its talented educators and rich resources in STEM and education, has an opportunity to be a leader in mathematics education. In fact, we have a responsibility – to students, to families, and to the future of our state – to lead. For starters, Gov.-elect Maura Healey’s transition committee on Thriving Youth and Young Adults could take a deep look at mathematics education in the Commonwealth as they chart a course to giving students equitable access to the educational support they need.

We have reasons to be hopeful that investing in professional development, high-quality curriculum, and individualized supports for students will improve mathematics outcomes. In a recent podcast episode, Harvard faculty member Heather Hill explained that math scores, and presumably math skills, are especially sensitive to “opportunities to learn.” In other words, increasing a student’s access to challenging content and effective instruction is likely to lead to more learning and better achievement. We’ve seen the negative consequences of such sensitivity with the decrease in opportunities to learn during the pandemic, and our response and investment in opportunities for math learning at this moment are critical.

Recent stories have highlighted the way schools that are prioritizing math in their pandemic recoveries are already beating the odds when it comes to academic progress. Here in Boston, the winner and finalists from this year’s School on the Move Prize implemented strategies to support math teaching and learning as students returned to in-person learning. Last year’s Prize recipient, the James Otis School in East Boston, has continued to build on a strong foundation of collaboration and community partnerships to support teachers and increase student engagement in STEM. The Otis had the second-highest average growth in mathematics outcomes among all Boston Public Schools last year.

We are energized by the powerful work happening in many classrooms. For the past six years, EdVestors has partnered with teachers, school leaders, district administrators, and external collaborators to help improve the mathematics educational experiences and outcomes for Boston Public School students through an effort called Zeroing in on Math (ZioM). We’ve learned a great deal about how schools and networks of schools can leverage powerful professional learning, quality curriculum, and targeted technology to improve math teaching and learning.

To make change at scale, districts need strong policies around curriculum and dedicated resources for professional learning. They need to establish the conditions for culturally responsive teaching and pedagogy, equitable pathways to advanced coursework in math, and building mathematics culture and identity among students, particularly students of color, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. This starts by convening stakeholders to build a shared understanding of these complex shifts and making clear commitments to do things differently.

When we teach math, we also generate more citizens who can learn and think creatively and critically – something all career fields will demand in the future. None of this will be a quick fix and we have much to do to reimagine math education. It is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and one that will require the will and vision of everyone who cares about the education of our students – policymakers, business leaders, educators, families, and students themselves – to make this change.

Marinell Rousmaniere is the president & CEO of EdVestors, a Boston-based school improvement organization. To commemorate EdVestors’ 20th anniversary, the organization is running  a “20/20 Series” of commentary pieces in CommonWealth, sharing insights gathered over 20 years to address the challenges facing public schools today. This is the final installment. Read the first two installments here and here.