Mayor Eric Adams Expands Math & Literacy Initiatives Across New York City Middle Schools
Under the new initiative, more students will have access to reading and math curricula.
Middle schools across the five boroughs just received a major upgrade in reading and math curriculum.
A New Approach
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, along with Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos announced on Tuesday that they will be expanding the city’s two learning programs, NYC Reads and NYC Solves to middle schools across the city. 186 schools across 14 districts will have access to the programs, which focus on high-quality, evidence-based foundational reading and math.
Psst…Check Out Meet New NYC Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos
Under the new expansion, over 490,000 students will benefit from NYC Reads and NYC Solves by the 2025-2026 school year. NYC Reads – already implemented at all K-5 schools and early childhood education programs – will be expanded for the first time, to middle schools, starting with 102 middle schools in eight school districts, and supporting nearly 26,000 students.
“Literacy and math skills form the foundation for bold futures, but for too long, our Black and Brown students were left behind,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos in a press release. “We launched NYC Reads and NYC Solves – grounded in high-quality, evidence-based instructional materials and strategies – to support all of our students as they build these critical, foundational skills. We are thrilled to be able to expand these transformative initiatives to reach even more students in even more grade bands.”
The decision comes after the city has faced struggling numbers in math and reading for students. According to EdTrust New York, over a third of 8th grade students scored Below Basic in reading, with 42% of Black 8th graders and 47% of Latinx 8th graders scoring Below Basic. 28% of 4th grade students scored Below Basic in math, with 44% of Black students and 39% of Latinx students scoring Below Basic. Despite former Schools Chancellor David Banks bragging about a slight improvement in test scores, numbers still remain low.
Leveling the Playing Field
Historically, minority students have always struggled with their white or Asian counterparts when it comes to math and reading testing. According to 2023 test results released by the city, about 77.6% of Asian American students and 70.2% of white students demonstrated proficiency their math exams, compared to 34.3% of students who are Black and 35.7% who are Latino. On reading tests, 72.3% of Asian American students and 69.5% of white students were on grade level, compared to 40.3% of Black students and 39.4% of Latino students. However, the mayor believes that this program will help improve that.
“As a student, I prayed my teacher wouldn’t call on me because our public school system didn’t provide the opportunities needed to improve educational outcomes for students at every level. But through the implementation of NYC Reads and NYC Solves, we have brought evidence-based curricula to our public schools as we zero in on what’s needed to teach our students,” said Mayor Adams.
“Today, we are expanding these opportunities to now support a total of nearly 500,000 students across the city to make an impact that will last a lifetime. By broadening these initiatives to reach more students, we are continuing our track record of improving math and English language arts scores in New York City and helping ensure kids don’t have to worry about being called on in class going forward.”
NYC Solves is expanding to middle schools in districts 5, 6, 8, 17, 25, and 31, and schools will have the option to choose between Illustrative Mathematics, Amplify Desmos, and IReady Mathematics curricula. Districts that are already participating in NYC Solves will continue to use Illustrative Mathematics. Currently, all public high schools and 101 middle schools use high-quality curriculum for math instruction, as announced under the first phase of NYC Solves.
Psst… Check Out New York Family: Special Child 2025
