Let’s Be Honest About the Math Gap in Texas

Earlier this month we released a new analysis highlighting the “Graduation Gap.” It turns out that many states have enormous gaps between the percentage of students who score proficient in high school math versus those who are able to earn a diploma.
How Big Is Your State’s “Graduation Gap?”

In the Boston Globe last week, I had an op-ed about what I call the “graduation gap” in Massachusetts. Nearly nine out of ten students earn a high school diploma, while less than half of the state’s 10th graders are proficient in math.
The Math Problem Governors Aren’t Talking About

This year’s State of the State addresses had a clear theme: jobs, workforce, and economic competitiveness.
Illinois’ “Comprehensive Numeracy Plan” Has Very Little Math In It

Illinois’ draft Comprehensive Numeracy Plan starts with a strong statement that, “every student, in every classroom, deserves instruction that empowers them to be confident and capable mathematical thinkers.”
What Can States Do to Help Students Learn More Math?

Math scores have been in decline for the last decade, and a recent estimate found that boosting scores back to their 2013 levels would raise the average student’s total lifetime earnings by nearly 8%.
States are obscuring student math performance

The Center on Reinventing Public Education’s new State of the American Student 2025 report delivers a sobering verdict: most states are failing to give parents and the public a clear view of how students are doing in math.
Yes, Alabama! The kids can learn math.

By all recent accounts, the kids are not all right when it comes to learning math in this country.
The Gender Gap in Math Starts Early

Gender gaps in math start have been growing in recent years.
How Parents Support Math at Home

When my dad took us on long road trips as a kid, he would give my brother and I what he called “can problems.” Iowa used to have, and still has, a bottle deposit law where each returned soda can or bottle was worth a nickel.
Math Gaps Emerge Early. Students Deserve Early Interventions

Did you know that 3rd grade reading scores are highly predictive of later-life outcomes? It’s true. My favorite paper on this comes from Dan Goldhaber, Malcolm Wolff, and Tim Daly, who looked at how accurate early measures of achievement are in predicting longer-term academic outcomes. In a 2021 paper, they used data from North Carolina, Massachusetts […]