What’s the key to solving the math deficiency equation?

解数学亏方程的关键是什么？

Dive Brief:

简要速览

Low and stagnant achievement and persistent racial and socioeconomic gaps in U.S. math performance have built momentum for curricular approaches similar to science of reading on the literacy front — but not all students are adequately provided an evidence-based, developmental progression toward improving their math proficiency, according to a report from Bellwether.

风向标机构报告称，美国数学学业成绩低迷停滞，种族及社会经济层面的成绩差距长期存在，这使得学界愈发推崇效仿阅读科学理念的数学课程模式。但并非所有学生都能获得循证式、循序渐进的系统化教学，来稳步提升数学能力。

Bellwether’s “Solving for X” report notes that the U.S. ranks lower than most peer countries on international assessments and finds consistent racial and socioeconomic gaps, and falling scores for lower performing students. The data also shows only 39% of 4th graders, 27% of 8th graders and 21% of high school seniors achieved proficiency on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress.

风向标机构发布的《求解未知数X》报告指出，美国学生在各类国际学业测评中的排名低于多数同等发展水平国家，国内还长期存在种族与社会经济层面的教育差距，学业薄弱学生成绩持续下滑。数据显示，在2024年美国全国教育进展评估中，仅有39%的四年级学生、27%的八年级学生以及21%的高三学生达到学业合格水平。

While research shows students need explicit instruction to learn new or complicated skills — and learning math requires understanding both concepts and procedures — instructional methodology remains inconsistent across districts and states due to both pedagogical differences and inequitable access, the report says.

报告指出，研究表明学生学习全新及复杂技能离不开系统化明确教学，数学学习也需兼顾概念理解与运算流程掌握；但受教学理念差异与教育资源分配不均影响，全美各学区及各州的教学方式仍参差不齐。

Dive Insight:

深度解读

The U.S. has experienced a decline in math achievement particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, and even more so among those from underprivileged backgrounds, said Anson Jackson, a co-author of the report and senior partner at Bellwether.

该报告合著者、风向标教育咨询机构高级合伙人安森·杰克逊称，自新冠疫情以来，美国学生数学成绩持续下滑，贫困家庭出身的学生情况尤为严峻。

He noted that debates around math instruction tend to involve what he believes is a false choice between rote memorization and a more conceptual understanding of big ideas.

他指出，围绕数学教学的争论，往往陷入死记硬背与深度理解核心理念二选一的错误误区。

“Research is telling us there should be a balanced approach,” he said.

他表示：“研究表明，我们应当采取均衡兼顾的教学方式。”

Given how strongly research underscores the fact that math achievement leads to a better life for individuals and communities as a whole, school leaders need to ensure they do everything they can to help students succeed, Jackson said.

杰克逊称，诸多研究充分证实，数学成绩优异能为个人与社会整体带来更好的发展，校方管理者需竭尽全力助力学生学有所成。

He suggested several key steps:

他提出了几个关键步骤：

Promoting a clear, unified vision for teaching mathematics, grounded in research into effective instruction based on a balance between conceptual understanding and procedural fluency.

树立清晰统一的数学教学理念，以有效教学研究为依据，兼顾概念理解与运算熟练度。

Ensuring that a district or school has the resources, curriculum and assessments aligned both to that vision and to state standards. “Not just on paper, but having deep brain science built into the curriculum,” he said.

确保学区或学校所配备的资源、课程与考评体系，均契合发展愿景及各州教学标准。他表示：“不能只停留在纸面形式，更要将深层脑科学原理融入课程设计之中。”

Investing deeply in year-round professional development opportunities, “not PD in the summertime that stops,” Jackson said. “Then you get feedback on what is going well and what adjustments need to be made.”

杰克逊表示，要大力投入全年常态化的教师专业发展培训，**而非仅开展暑期短期培训**。随后根据实际情况总结优势不足，及时做出调整优化。

Building a “culture of positive math identity” where students and teachers are willing to try new things and make mistakes. “Too many teachers are afraid of mathematics,” he said. “Elementary teachers say, ‘I’m not a math person,’ but they’re teaching mathematics. … No one says, ‘I’m not a good reader.’”

营造积极数学认同感氛围，让师生勇于尝试、不惧犯错。他说道：“太多教师对数学心存畏惧。小学教师常坦言自己不擅长数学，却仍承担数学教学工作，可没人会说自己不擅长阅读。”

Using strong data to measure implementation and outcomes — and then adjusting pathways based on that data. “Without strong data systems, it’s hard to measure if things are working or not working,” Jackson said. “And you often make adjustments based on a few anecdotes.”

依托详实数据衡量实施情况与实际成效，并据此调整发展路径。杰克逊表示：“缺少完善的数据体系，就难以评判举措是否奏效，人们往往只能凭借个别零散事例做出调整。”

Scaffolding a cohesive alignment from grade to grade, providing a clear, logical progression of concepts and standards, which guards against gaps in learning.

逐级搭建连贯衔接的教学架构，构建清晰有序的知识与课标进阶体系，杜绝学业知识断层。

Ashley Jochim, a senior fellow at the Center for Reinventing Public Education, said she believes strongly, based both on her research and her experience as a parent of a middle-school student, that procedural fluency needs to be taught first and foremost.

公共教育改革中心高级研究员阿什利·约希姆表示，结合自身研究成果与作为一名中学生家长的亲身经历，她坚定认为，必须优先教授运算熟练度。

Jochim draws an analogy to the debate over literacy and argues that while balanced literacy has helped some children learn to read, “what virtually guarantees that children will learn to read is explicit instruction in phonics,” she said.

约希姆以读写教育领域的相关争论作类比，她指出，均衡读写教学法虽能帮助部分孩子学会阅读，但**系统明确的自然拼读教学**才是让孩子切实学会阅读的根本保障。

“The thing that best builds kids’ confidence in mathematics is skill-building,” Jochim said. “When we throw kids into the deep end and tell them to swim, that doesn’t help them. It reinforces the idea that, ‘I can’t do this.’”

Jochim与关于读写能力的辩论进行了类比，并认为虽然平衡读写能力帮助一些孩子学会了阅读，但“实际上保证孩子们学会阅读的是明确的语音教学，”她说。约希姆表示：“培养孩子数学自信心最好的方式就是夯实基础能力。若是直接让孩子迎难而上、放手摸索，非但起不到帮助作用，反而会让他们越发认定自己学不好数学。”

Traditionalists don’t oppose inquiry-based instruction, they just think students need foundational skills first, Jochim said.

约希姆称，传统教育派并非反对探究式教学，只是认为学生应先掌握基础技能。

“The question of what practices improve outcomes is ultimately empirical,” she said. “We have to make sure we’re keeping our eyes on the ball and not confusing how a pedagogical practice feels or sounds with its actual results.”

她说：“究竟哪些教学方法能提升成效，终究要靠实践实证。我们必须紧盯核心目标，切勿把教学方式的主观观感与实际成效混为一谈。”

Jochim appreciated that the Bellwether report elaborated on the cognitive science underlying different instructional practices. “This is the type of conversation we need to be having,” she said. “What are the instructional practices most likely to produce the outcomes we want?”

约希姆十分认可这份风向标报告对各类教学实践背后认知科学原理的详细阐述。她表示：“这正是我们应当开展的探讨，究竟哪些教学方式最有可能达成我们预期的育人成效。”