Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee and Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green have announced $225,000 in grants to improve math skills.
This funding is part of a bigger $2.85 million Learn365RI grant program, which goes hand-in-hand with the new Math Matters RI campaign. The goal? To help K-8 students get better at math through programs outside of regular school hours.
Here’s how the money is being split up in Newport County:
- City of Newport: $75,000
- Town of Middletown: $55,000
- Town of Portsmouth: $55,000
- Town of Tiverton: $40,000
- Town of Jamestown: $20,000
- Town of Little Compton: $15,000
At the launch event at Asa Messer Elementary School in Providence, McKee emphasized, “Learning matters every day, in every home. We’re kicking off our Math Matters RI campaign to put extra focus on math teaching and learning.”
The grants will fund various math-focused programs, including April break camps, intensive after-school and weekend sessions, and summer programs lasting at least four weeks.
There’s a clear need to improve math skills in Rhode Island. While elementary RICAS math scores have bounced back to better than pre-pandemic levels, high school SAT math results are still lagging behind 2019 figures.
Infante-Green pointed out, “Some of our students are showing positive momentum in math and have even surpassed pre-pandemic achievement levels. But we need to double down on our efforts to promote math and help all students get back on track.”
The state isn’t stopping at just these municipal grants. They’re also putting $500,000 towards math courses on EnrollRI.org and $225,000 for Providence Public Schools to offer math programs during spring break.
Kerry Johnson, who received the 2023 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, added her voice to the initiative: “With the right support, we can all learn and excel in math. I’m joining Rhode Island officials, teachers, parents, and business and community partners in saying loud and clear: math matters!”