A Letter to the Field from Afi Y. Wiggins, Ph.D.
A Numerate Nation: Building the Education System We Say We Believe In
Mathematics is more than computation and procedures. It cultivates ways of thinking, doing, and being. Deep mathematical understanding helps us navigate daily life, interpret a complex world, and fuel discovery. Mathematical literacy is foundational to learning, work, and civic participation. To truly transform education, we must reframe the purpose of mathematics and build coherent, accessible systems of high-quality learning from Pre-K through postsecondary education. We must develop systems that cultivate agency and prepare individuals to fully participate in and shape U.S. society and the economy.
Our education systems are powered by shared beliefs. As this quote reminds us, a “system’s power comes not from its truth, but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true.”1
The beliefs embedded in our education system, many of which were formed in a different era, have normalized limited access to high-quality, meaningful learning.
It is time to move beyond incremental adjustments and build the systems we say we believe in—systems that expand opportunity, endure, and realize this nation’s promise for every learner.
Turning Vision into Impact
To realize the systems we say we believe in, we need more than aspiration. It demands coordinated, sustained actions. The Charles A. Dana Center is putting this vision to work across the education ecosystem, strengthening learning, expanding opportunity, and building the foundations of lasting change. We are turning vision into impact by:
Elevating rigorous, relevant quantitative literacy and data reasoning across P-20W2
Modernize learning by balancing algebraic thinking with modeling, statistics, and data literacy so learners can analyze uncertainty, reason with evidence, solve real-world problems, and make informed decisions from early numeracy through postsecondary and career pathways.
Designing high school to postsecondary pathways that match futures
Expand quantitative reasoning, statistics, and algebraically intensive pathways, giving every learner a rigorous onramp to postsecondary education, careers, and civic leadership by aligning mathematics with aspirations and opportunities.
Investing in educator capacity at scale
Through HQIM3-aligned, job-embedded professional learning, strengthen instructional practice and leadership, advance conceptual understanding and mathematics discourse sustained by coaching networks, and develop professional learning communities and cross-organizational partnerships.
Building evidence that drives decisions and actions
With P–20W data partners, link policy and practice to learner outcomes and publish transparent findings to inform the field.
In collaboration with Education Strategy Group (ESG), the Dana Center released Charting the Course: The State of Mathematics Pathways for Student Success (July 2025), the first national view of shifts in math pathways policy and practice. Future reports will connect learner navigation through pathways with structural change indicators, providing deep insight into the factors shaping learners’ education and workforce trajectories.
Welcoming New Leadership to Drive Innovation
The past year brought an exciting chapter for the Dana Center and the College of Natural Sciences with the arrival of two visionary leaders: Dr. Lya Snell and Dr. James A. Mendoza Álvarez.
Dr. Lya Snell, the Center’s new Director of Building Capacity for Innovation, brings a proven record of leading large-scale, impactful mathematics and STEM education reform. Dr. Snell led the development of Georgia’s K–12 Mathematics Standards and the modernization of mathematics pathways, efforts that resulted in historic gains in learner performance on state assessments and accountability measures. A national voice in reimagining mathematics education, Dr. Snell also coauthored High School Mathematics: Reimagined, Revitalized, and Relevant (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2024).
Dr. James A. Mendoza Álvarez, CNS’s new Associate Dean for P–20 Education Initiatives, brings more than two decades of leadership in mathematics and strengthening the bridge between PK–12 and higher education. With a dual appointment as professor of mathematics, Dr. Álvarez has played a key role in shaping mathematics standards and assessments in Texas and nationally, along with service to the National Science Foundation, the Mathematical Association of America, and the CollegeBoard.
The Dana Center of the Future: A Vision for 2026 and Beyond
To accelerate our progress toward a numerate nation, the Dana Center will continue to focus our collective efforts where it can drive the greatest change. Here is what’s in store for 2026 and beyond. The Center will focus on:
Securing coherence across grades and disciplines
Promote seamless, research- and evidence-grounded learning progressions that connect mathematics with literacy, science, and other disciplines, eliminating fragmented experiences and countering tracking practices that restrict opportunity.
Integrating data science across PK–12
Embed developmentally appropriate data science concepts and practices throughout the PK–12 education experience, preparing learners to thrive in a data-rich, technology-driven world and equipping them with the tools to interpret, question, and use data responsibly.
Strengthening early learning foundations
Champion high-quality early numeracy and literacy experiences that cultivate curiosity and problem solving, building a critical foundation on which all future mathematics and scientific learning depend.
Defining, measuring, and scaling what works
Continue to identify, evaluate, and amplify evidence-based practices that improve learner outcomes, providing the field with clear and coherent measures of effectiveness and scalable models that support improvements at every level of the education system.
A Call to Action
Afi Y. Wiggins, Ph.D.
Managing Director
The Dana Center is not simply imagining a better future, we are building it. I remain deeply grateful for the unwavering dedication we—and our partners—bring to this work and for the collective effort that makes our progress possible. Together, we are advancing a vision of a nation where every person has the opportunity to fully participate in, and meaningfully contribute to, a thriving society and economy.
As we look forward, we continue to invite states, districts, higher education systems and partners, industry, and philanthropy to join us in shaping the future our nation deserves.
Let’s face 2026 with bold energy, shared purpose, and a steadfast commitment to transforming education for every learner. Let’s build a numerate nation!
With unshakeable optimism and gratitude,
Afi Y. Wiggins, Ph.D.
1 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, World Economic Forum, January 20, 2026
2 P-20W is pre-kindergarten through postsecondary and into the workforce
3 HQIM refers to high-quality instructional materials
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