A deep dive into the math scores from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveals that the widest achievement gaps for marginalized students aren’t in advanced subjects like algebra or geometry. Instead, the greatest divide is rooted in the most practical, everyday skill set of all – measurement. This hidden crisis is the focus of our new report, Where the Math Gap Is Widest, which exposes how a lack of foundational measurement skills may be quietly stalling student progress.

The Learning Engineering Virtual Institute (LEVI) looks for strategic opportunities where targeted investments fundamentally reshape the future for the public good. Today, as we navigate an era of rapid AI development, few challenges are as pressing as ensuring every student is equipped to thrive in a fast-changing world.

Measurement: Math’s Foundation

Measurement is the often overlooked bridge between abstract numbers and real-world reasoning. The ability to estimate distance, calculate area, and understand physical quantities drive success in the skills required for the most in-demand jobs of the next decade.

However, the disparities in measurement skills that our new research uncovered are staggering:

  • Economically disadvantaged 8th graders are roughly 3.7 years behind their affluent peers in measurement.
  • English Language Learners (ELL) face an even wider divide, trailing non-ELL students by approximately 4.7 years.
  • This 47-point gap for ELL students is the largest disparity observed across all math content areas.

 

If we leave these deficits unaddressed, we are narrowing the postsecondary and workforce options for an entire generation of marginalized students.

Tackling Math Misconceptions

One of the primary reasons students struggle with measurement is the persistence of “misconceptions” – a sort of faulty “mental map.”

Misconceptions are deep-seated misunderstandings where a student substitutes their own logical – but incorrect – processed to solve a problem. These usually happen because a student tries to apply an old “rule” or approach to a new situation where it no longer works (like assuming a longer decimal number must be “bigger” than a shorter one, just because that’s how whole numbers work).

Because the student thinks their logic is sound, they will make the same mistake over and over again. It often happens when kids are taught the “how-to” steps of math without ever really understanding the “why” behind them.

In measurement, this could mean, for example, that students confuse area and perimeter because they have difficulty bridging abstract numbers to physical quantities. These errors aren’t just careless mistakes; they are internalizations of the wrong concepts. The LEVI Math project is tackling this by building an evidence base for tools that help teachers identify these high-error patterns before they take root. By using diagnostic tools to flag specific misconceptions, LEVI teams are working to empower educators to provide the precise feedback necessary to get students back on track.

How LEVI Math is Closing the Divide

One goal of LEVI is to confront exactly these types of systemic challenges. As a program of Renaissance Philanthropy, LEVI is a research network of learning scientists and tech developers focused on doubling the rate of middle school math learning.

The LEVI approach not only funds new solutions that move the needle for underserved students but also enables research to fuel key information for the developers and practitioners, overall. In the area of measurement, we are already seeing measurable outcomes from our teams.

One example is Eedi, which has developed an AI-powered diagnostic tool that integrates into student learning platforms and can flag incorrect answers to teachers and tutors, ensuring students don’t internalize misconceptions. By assessing misconceptions, Eedi found that, for students starting the year with below-median math attainment, their program delivered an average gain of three additional months of progress.

The MATHia platform, by Carnegie Learning, develops students’ measurement skills by first immersing them in a visual exploration of how quantities relate, such as watching how a building’s shadow changes as the sun moves. Once students grasp the concept, MATHia individualizes their practice and tracks specific sub-skills that target precise measurement errors like incorrect unit conversions. 

This NAEP analysis makes one thing clear: ignoring the persistent gaps in math achievement is no longer acceptable. Without strategic, targeted investment, especially for students from low-income backgrounds and those learning English, these disparities will continue to act as a ceiling on their future careers. The LEVI Math program proves that we can accelerate student progress by backing research teams that build innovative, evidence-based tools. Together, these efforts offer a proven roadmap to boost math proficiency and ensure every student is truly ready for the demands of the modern workforce.