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Gov. Daniel J. McKee[/caption]
We’ve all heard the expression: I am not a math person. The numbers and complex math rules and formulas can be overwhelming for some. The reality is that from school to the workplace and in our communities, we all use math daily to tackle simple and complex issues. We are all math people. Let’s embrace math and build a statewide sense of excitement and enthusiasm around it so our kids can succeed.
Why does math matter? Students need math to succeed in a very competitive 21st-century economy. From manufacturing to engineering and other in-demand fields, a strong grasp of math is paramount. Simply put, if our students succeed in math, Rhode Island succeeds. Not everyone has an advanced math degree, but we all use the foundational and critical thinking skills we learned in math class. As we look to continue to improve academic outcomes as part of our Learn365RI initiative to meet or beat Massachusetts’ levels of performance and prepare students to compete in growing industries, we have launched Math Matters RI. This statewide campaign will place an emphasis on improving achievement in math and spotlight R.I. Department of Education and district-led, math-focused programs and initiatives meant to boost math skills.
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Angélica Infante-Green[/caption]
We are excited to build on the success of our nationally recognized Attendance Matters RI campaign, which helped decrease chronic absenteeism statewide by more than 20 percentage points since the height of the pandemic. Our community-driven approach to curb chronic absenteeism garnered us recognition from the White House and has prompted leaders from across the world to reach out for guidance and best practices. Fellow Rhode Islanders, we’ve already shown that we can come together to have a positive impact on our children. Let’s do it again with a focus on math.
Statewide data shows a clear need for us to come together to share the message that math matters. At the national level, the latest scores from National Assessment of Educational Progress – known as the nation’s report card – reinforced a need to focus on math, with 2024 national math scores declining by 5 percentage points in the fourth grade and 8 percentage points in the eighth grade compared with 2019.
In Rhode Island, we have seen positive trends in the math results on the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System, which have not only rebounded but exceeded pre-pandemic levels of achievement, with more students meeting or exceeding expectations than before the pandemic. That’s positive news, but we need to stay the course. Math SAT scores remain below pre-pandemic levels, which is why we are continuing to expand access to Advanced Placement, and dual and concurrent enrollment offerings while working to implement new readiness-based graduation requirements. Those requirements will ensure students graduate with proficiency in areas such as computer science and financial literacy. Rhode Island has kicked off our statewide math campaign by making millions of dollars available to local communities to promote math achievement. At Asa Messer Elementary School in Providence, a school that saw a 12-percentage-point increase in students meeting or exceeding math expectations in 2024, we recently announced an investment of $2.35 million in Learn365RI grants that will support out-of-school-time learning programs with a specific focus on math programs for students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade. Nearly all Rhode Island communities will be able to tap into state resources to host math camps during the April break, intensive after-school and weekend math programming, and summer programs. These are direct investments in our kids and in the future of Rhode Island.
In line with our RI 2030 plan, we are making investments that are already beginning to close the achievement gap between Rhode Island and Massachusetts. With Math Matters RI, we are charting a course for student success by expanding access to math support and resources – and ultimately improving their future earning power. That’s why math matters.
Daniel J. McKee was sworn in as Rhode Island’s 76th governor in March 2021. Angélica Infante-Green has served as the state commissioner of elementary and secondary education since 2019.
