Balance the Equation: State of Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) in the U.S. will develop a pre-algebra "Readiness Course" to better prepare multilingual learners in Providence for Algebra I. In 2020, only 3% of multilingual learners (also called "English learners") in Rhode Island achieved the SAT college readiness benchmark in mathematics. RIDE has developed and piloted a summer course that uses student-centered pedagogy and real-world examples to strengthen students' math skills, while also promoting their social-emotional growth. RIDE will expand the course to a full academic semester, and layer on additional supports to help multilingual learners succeed. These supports will be designed using RIDE's recently-released Blueprint for Multilingual Learners, as well as the insights of multilingual learners themselves. Partners on this project include WestEd Carnegie Math Pathways, English Learners Success Forum (ESLF), and the Equity Institute.