Testimony to the DC State Board of Education on Statewide Math Education and AI Integration
Good afternoon, members of the DC State Board of Education. I’m Andre Aina, CEO of Third Eye Education Analytics, where we utilize academic data to provide schools and educators with actionable insights that help students thrive. I have a decade of experience in the classroom working with students and teachers in mathematics across several domains—special education, general education, and Response to Intervention (RTI)—and will continue these efforts as an Academic Data Specialist.
Today, I’m here as a civic leader with Education Reform Now Advocacy DC (ERNA DC), fighting for a just and equitable education for all students, to discuss improving student achievement in math education and the appropriate use of AI to support our teachers and students.
Funding will be required for the implementation of a statewide Math and AI plan, and I encourage our state board members to engage with the DC council to provide the estimated $300k needed to fund these initiatives.
ERNA DC has underscored several key insights, highlighting the imperative to enhance our approach to math education.
- Although a statewide approach to improving reading in DC has shown great potential, we have yet to create a comprehensive statewide plan for K-8 mathematics.
- The federal funding for schools stemming from the pandemic (ESSER grant) that supports High-Impact Tutoring and other evidence-based programs will soon be coming to an end; therefore, we need to develop effective solutions to continue serving our students.
- Students in DC are performing noticeably worse in math. In mathematics, 78% of DC public school students failed to meet expectations last year. This is a concern for their future, and not just about missed lessons.
- It’s imperative that we establish a taskforce of local and national experts to develop a statewide strategy for improving math instruction for K-8 students.
Statewide Math Strategy
- The Math Task Force: Establishing a Mathematics Force to supervise advances in math instruction is the first step in a statewide plan. Spearheading systemic reform requires collaborative expertise. Creating a task force ensures a coalition of voices, including those from underserved communities, to help shape a strategic approach that reflects the diversity and needs of our students.
- Custom Curriculum Development and Coaching: Modernizing our approach to math education necessitates an understanding of the resources needed for developing curriculum on a school-by-school basis.
- Support for Families and RTI Frameworks: To build a supportive ecosystem around each student, we should engage families in the educational process and require Response to Intervention (RTI) models in schools to support math achievement.
Statewide AI Strategy
In addition to a Math Task Force, the district should establish an AI Task Force to develop plans for effectively incorporating AI as a learning and instructional tool for both students and teachers.
The findings of this task force can help schools comprehensively prepare to fully leverage AI’s potential while safeguarding against its associated risks and ethical implications. This preparation involves several key measures:
- Development of educational policies and frameworks: This involves establishing regulations and guidelines governing the ethical application of AI in educational settings and making sure that AI tools are employed to enhance, not replace, human components of instruction and learning.
- Teacher Training and Professional Development: Providing educators with the required skills and expertise to properly use AI tools in their teaching activities. Teachers should be prepared to teach students about the ethical use of AI, for instance, the limitations of AI-generated content, and the value of academic integrity.
- Collaborative Research and Development: Fostering collaboration among educators, AI researchers, and technology developers to generate AI solutions that are pedagogically sound, culturally appropriate, and aligned with educational objectives.
Closing
In conclusion, I ask you to embrace our call to action—a call to not only close the gaps left by the pandemic but also move forward toward a future in which every student is prepared to flourish in a global marketplace. Funding will be needed to execute a statewide Math and AI strategy, and I urge our state board members to encourage the DC Council to fund these efforts.
Thank you for the privilege of presenting this testimony. I stand ready, alongside ERNA DC and the broader education community, to support this monumental shift towards a brighter, more equitable future for our students.