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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 10, 2025 01:08 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Lisa M. Boscola and Sen. Tracy Pennycuick |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | First In Math |
| In the near future, we plan to reintroduce SB 123 of 2023 to establish a supplemental mathematics program within the Department of Education. This initiative aims to provide every K-5 student in the Commonwealth with access to a proven tool, such as First In Math, to strengthen critical skills like fact fluency, automaticity, computational thinking, and overall math proficiency. The program, to be administered over five years, will be optional and adaptable to the unique needs of schools and students. This flexibility allows schools to use it for enrichment, summer learning, or as a supplement to existing classroom instruction. Importantly, participation will not be mandated as part of the curriculum. Currently, only 20% of students in Pennsylvania utilize First In Math, but the results are compelling. Data shows it significantly boosts engagement and helps students achieve grade-level fluency. Expanding this opportunity statewide is a critical step in addressing the persistent learning gap. A similar initiative, New York State’s Expanded Math Access Program, launched in 2019 and allocated funding for five years. Even with pandemic-related disruptions, math proficiency rates increased by 5% from 2019 to 2023. This program recently expanded to include Grades 6-8, demonstrating its scalability and success. We invite you to co-sponsor this legislation to ensure all Pennsylvania students have equitable access to resources that enhance their mathematical abilities and close the learning gap. Prior cosponsors included Senators: AUMENT, COSTA, FLYNN, FONTANA, PENNYCUICK, SANTASIERO, SCHWANK, STEFANO, VOGEL, and ROTHMAN. |