WATCH: School Experts Talk Math Skills, STEM Education and Learning Recovery in a Post-COVID World
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With educators across the country grappling with how to address the learning setbacks caused by the pandemic, the debate between remedial education and accelerated learning has become a heated topic.
However, according to Patrick Jones, Senior VP of the Mind Trust in Indianapolis, the solution to closing math learning gaps lies in pushing forward at full speed.
Jones asserts that as students face difficulties with exams, it is essential to stay focused on their current grade level and dedicate more time to teaching them where they are. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of embracing curiosity and creativity in problem-solving.
During a panel discussion co-sponsored by and the Reinventing America’s Schools project of the Progressive Policy Institute, Jones highlights the unique challenges of teaching math and how it involves more than simply building knowledge layer upon layer.
Mathematics has evolved over centuries, and expecting children to grasp its entire body of knowledge within a 12-year timeframe is a significant challenge. Jones believes that considering math as a series of foundations to move through is flawed. Instead, he sees math as a compounding foundational subject, where skills built upon previous ones may only contribute marginally to understanding the next skill due to its different representation.
Attempting to go back and teach foundational skills poses risks, as students may never fully access the compounding foundation principle that underlies subsequent concepts taught in different ways. Moreover, there are real-world constraints to consider. If the ultimate goal is for students to achieve proficiency, there simply isn’t enough time to revisit teaching them how to solve fractions.
Lagra Newman, the founder of Purpose Prep Academy, a charter school in Nashville, personally witnessed the impact of the pandemic and remote instruction on math learning. Despite the virtual efforts of dedicated teachers, significant learning gaps arose.
To address these gaps, the school is leveraging the value of time. Math classes now last for 75 minutes, with additional interventions tailored to individual students’ needs. The school aims to strategically intervene based on the observed gaps in understanding, recognizing that more intervention will be necessary this year.
According to Newman, students are excited about attending class and progressing through grade-level skills as per the school’s curriculum. Simultaneously, they eagerly participate in intervention blocks, which provide them with additional conceptual understanding.
Newman also describes a technique called "aggressive monitoring," where teachers circulate the classroom to assess which students have successfully completed specific math steps and which ones need additional support.
"We closely observe each student’s progress at every step," she explains. "We want to make sure they grasp each step before moving on. If there’s a gap, we address it before they proceed."
"I believe this clearly demonstrates that we have not yet reached the level of achievement we had before the pandemic, and we still have a long way to go to improve," she stated.
Napolitano also highlighted that recent studies on the learning gaps caused by the pandemic may be downplaying the issue. According to her, some assessments have failed to include data from the most economically disadvantaged students. "These students were either unable to participate in the assessments, whether in person or online, or they simply did not have access to them. So, based on my reporting, these statistics may not accurately represent the performance of children at lower levels."
"In reality, this situation could be even worse on the ground because it does not include the most vulnerable children."
Shennell McCloud, CEO of Project Ready in Newark, N.J., discussed the unique challenges faced by many parents and grandparents who had to take on the role of teachers during remote learning. These challenges were particularly difficult for Black and Brown families.
For many parents, she explained, the question was: "How can I support my child as their teacher, when the actual teacher is providing me with resources and tools from the digital world? But then, how can I even access those resources, when I either A) don’t have the necessary technology, B) don’t understand how to use the technology, or C) have all those things but lack access to high-quality internet?"
One constant challenge in math education, both before and during the pandemic, is getting students excited about the subject. "At Purpose Prep, we always think about how to make our students the focus of their learning because we know that’s when they can truly engage and get excited about it."
She wants her students to learn about the history of math and its origins in Africa. "The oldest mathematical object was discovered in Africa," she explained. "Having this knowledge empowers our children to understand that math is an integral part of who they are!"
Similarly, Michelle Stie, VP of the National Math and Science Initiative, called for the education funds allocated through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan to be invested in programs that stimulate students’ enjoyment of math and encourage its use as a problem-solving tool.
"I would encourage schools to think outside the box," Stie suggested, urging that the new funds be spent on "direct support for students, especially for activities like Mathcounts and others that focus on making math engaging, fun, relevant, and centered around problem-solving. This approach can make math a relevant and accessible language for all students, enabling them to thrive."
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