During the pandemic, anxieties about math instruction have grown.
Fueling them is the most recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which showed historical losses in math education. Falling behind in math can have long term consequences, since the subject can function as a gateway into STEM careers. And like so much during the pandemic, the losses were worse for some communities, with achievement gaps having widened during the pandemic. In response, some big bets are being placed to intervene. The biggest of those: In October, the Gates Foundation announced that it was plunking down $1.1 billion in the hopes of closing achievement gaps in K-12 math education.
