PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, RIDE Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, Providence Public School District (PPSD) Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez, Principal Cassandra Henderson, and 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) recipient Kerry Johnson joined state, municipal, school and community leaders on Feb 13th, at Asa Messer Elementary School to launch the statewide Math Matters RI campaign, which aims to promote the importance of mathematics.

As part of the launch, Governor McKee and Commissioner Infante-Green awarded the latest round of Learn365RI grants, which will provide 38 communities with $2,125,000 in grant funding aimed at improving math skills. Additionally, $725,000 has been allocated as a State set-aside for statewide intervention and support. Asa Messer Elementary was chosen to host the event because the school saw one of the highest increases in math proficiency, with a more than 12 percentage point improvement in students meeting or exceeding expectations in the 2024 RICAS results.

“In every home, every day, learning matters and we are launching our statewide Math Matters RI campaign to place an extra emphasis on math instruction and learning,” said Governor Dan McKee. “We’re underscoring that math is important for the future success of students and state with an investment of $2.85 million in Learn365RI funding that will support out-of-school math-focused programming statewide. Our intention is to build on the success of our nationally recognized Attendance Matters RI campaign and continue our work to improve academic achievement across the Ocean State.”

"Providing our students with the tools and support they need to excel in math is an investment in both their future and the future of Providence," said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. "Strong math skills create pathways to higher education and careers in high-demand industries, strengthening our local workforce and economy. We are pleased to partner with the State to expand access to high-quality learning opportunities. By working together, we can ensure that every student has the foundation to reach their full potential and succeed for years to come."

“While some of our students are seeing positive momentum in math and have rebounded past pre-pandemic levels of achievement, we have to double down on our efforts to promote math to help all students get back on track,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “RIDE is working diligently to expand access to high-quality math instruction for students and math-focused professional learning for teachers, and we know that the funds made available to communities through the Governor’s Learn365RI initiative will complement and strengthen our efforts to improve math understanding and skills. RIDE is excited to kick off the Math Matters RI campaign alongside math teachers, coaches, champions, and representatives from cities and towns throughout Rhode Island.”

Funding for the third round of Learn365RI Municipal Learning Project grants has been aligned to the Math Matters RI campaign and will support out-of-school time learning programs with an explicit focus on math programs for students currently enrolled in kindergarten through grade 8. The program’s grant recipients may offer April break math camps, intensive afterschool and/or weekend math programming, and/or a four (or more)-week summer program.

State leaders emphasized the need to focus on improving math instruction and learning, citing positive trends in math RICAS results that have rebounded past pre-pandemic levels of achievement with 30.1% of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2023-2024 results compared to 29.8% in 2018-2019. However, math SAT results remain below pre-pandemic levels, with 21.7% of secondary students meeting and exceeding expectations compared to 31.2% in 2018-2019. At the national level, NAEP, known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” underscored a need to focus on math with 2024 national math scores declining by 5 percentage points in grade 4 and 8 percentage points in grade 8 compared to 2019.

“When our future leaders succeed, Rhode Island succeeds, and I am proud that representatives from across our state are joining to support students reach their highest potential,” said Chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Patti DiCenso. “A comprehensive, high-quality education opens doors for all students, but we’ve seen that math can serve as a gatekeeper for many. By focusing joint efforts to promote math, we can help expand college and career options for students of all backgrounds.”

As part of the $725,000 State set-aside, $500,000 will help provide math-focused and enrichment courses through EnrollRI.org. The All Course Network (ACN), accessible through EnrollRI, helps students get a head start on postsecondary success, master the skills required of a lifelong learner, and be prepared for jobs in sectors critical to Rhode Island’s future prosperity. ACN courses offer students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit, offsetting the cost of college tuition, and preparing students for a life without limits. With the goal of supporting college and career readiness, last December state leaders announced a new partnership with Khan Academy, offering a no-cost opportunity to all local education agencies (LEAs) to enhance SAT preparation and student success through the integration of Khan Academy Districts and Khanmigo tools.

Providence Public Schools will receive $225,000 of the State set-aside to set up spring recess math programming. PPSD’s math RICAS results show positive trends with 14.7% of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2023-2024 compared to 11.9% in 2018-2019, prior to the pandemic. PPSD has seen steady increases in math RICAS annually since levels reached their lowest point during the pandemic.

“PPSD is committed to promoting the message that math matters, and we are working hard to expand access to learning opportunities that will boost math outcomes in the capital city,” said Superintendent Montañez. “Since the height of the pandemic, PPSD has made gains in math RICAS every year, and are now above where we were prior to the disruption of COVID-19. We know work remains and we are thankful for the State’s support in helping ensure our students continue to learn and develop their math skills beyond the classroom.”

The new campaign is in alignment with Governor McKee’s goal to meet or beat Massachusetts’ achievement levels by 2030 improving school attendance, boosting FAFSA completion rates, and improving RICAS English Language Arts (ELA) and math scores. To promote greater outcomes, state leaders have made a series of investments to support students and teachers. Notably, last year, the State announced the investment of $5 million in funding for instructional coaching in mathematics and ELA for more than 20 schools and districts across the state, with $4 million going towards staffing and the remaining $1 million going towards accompanying professional development.

“We are all math people, and as a math educator it brings me great joy to see statewide support towards elevating and strengthening math skills across the Ocean State,” said 2023 PAEMST recipient Kerry Johnson. “We can all learn and thrive in math if given the right support and I join the chorus of Rhode Island officials, teachers, parents, and business and community partners proudly saying that math matters!”

Grant Funding Breakdown:

City of Providence - $200,000.00

City of Pawtucket - $145,000.00

City of Cranston - $125,000.00

City of Warwick - $80,000.00

City of Woonsocket -  $100,000.00

Town of Cumberland - $70,000.00

City of East Providence - $70,000.00

City of Central Falls - $75,000.00

Town of Coventry - $55,000.00

Town of North Providence - $55,000.00

Town of North Kingstown - $55,000.00

Town of West Warwick - $55,000.00

Town of Lincoln - $55,000.00

Town of Barrington - $55,000.00

Town of East Greenwich - $55,000.00

Town of South Kingstown - $55,000.00

Town of Smithfield - $55,000.00

Town of Westerly - $55,000.00

Town of Burrillville - $55,000.00

Town of Portsmouth - $55,000.00

Town of Middletown - $55,000.00

City of Newport - $75,000.00

Town of Bristol - $40,000.00

Town of North Smithfield - $40,000.00

Town of Tiverton - $40,000.00

Town of Glocester - $40,000.00

Town of Scituate - $40,000.00

Town of Hopkinton - $40,000.00

Town of Richmond - $40,000.00

Town of Warren - $40,000.00

Town of Narragansett - $20,000.00

Town of West Greenwich - $20,000.00

Town of Exeter - $20,000.00

Town of Charlestown - $20,000.00

Town of Jamestown - $20,000.00

Town of Foster - $20,000.00

Town of Little Compton - $15,000.00

Town of New Shoreham - $15,000.00