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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 27, 2023 03:08 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Robert Freeman |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Creating a First in Math Initiative |
| Pennsylvania public school students are struggling to make up for the learning losses suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest PSSA results show just how pervasive this problem is; in 2022 only 34% of students in third through eighth grade passed the math portion of the PSSA. This is an almost ten percentage point drop from pre-pandemic math results, with students consistently performing better in the English language arts and science than math. In an effort to address this and boost our student’s math comprehension, I plan to introduce legislation that will create a First in Math initiative within the Department of Education. First in Math is a widely used online program which features hundreds of engaging math games designed to strengthen fact fluency, automaticity, computational thinking, and other critical math skills. The initiative will be administered through the department over a five-year period to provide the First in Math services to every K-5 student in the Commonwealth. The program will be optional and flexible, and it will not be mandated in any school’s curriculum. First in Math’s versatility will allow for it to be administered through enrichment, extension, fun summer learning, and/or supplementing current work already being done in the classroom. We have already seen the drastic improvements First in Math has made across the state. Currently, approximately 20% of schools in Pennsylvania utilize the program, and their results are extremely encouraging. For instance, Marvine Elementary School in the Bethlehem Area School District saw a 24.8% increase in students scoring proficiency and advanced on PSSA mathematics from 2017 to 2019. Establishing a First in Math initiative is pivotal to our children’s education and success. I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to ensure we are continuing to close the learning gap. Please join this effort to guarantee every student in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to excel and succeed in mathematics by co-sponsoring my legislation. Companion legislation for this program is being drafted in the Senate by Senator Boscola. |
Introduced as HB1262