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The Building Blocks of Math That Young Students Need to Excel — But Aren’t Always Getting

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — An analysis of state tests shows that few states have recovered students from pandemic math losses, with disadvantaged students from low-income neighborhoods hit especially hard

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By Holly Korbey, Hechinger Report

This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet focused on education.

ATLANTA — Students gathered around a bright blue number board in Melissa Williams’ kindergarten class at the Westminster School, gazing at the bank of 100 blank squares, organized in rows and columns of 10. Their assignment was to pick a numbered tile and figure out where it should go on the board. The task seems simple, but Williams’ goal was to bolster students’ “number sense” — a difficult-to-define skill, but one that is nevertheless essential for more advanced mathematics. One student with a “42” tile carefully counted the squares in each row. “Ten!” he said. Counting each row by tens — 10, 20, 30 — he came to 40, then moved his finger to the next row and counted the next two to arrive at 42. The fact that the student was able to count by tens and then add two, rather than counting each square up to 42, is an example of number sense.

Other examples include understanding the size of numbers about one another, finding missing numbers in a sequence, understanding that written numbers like “100” represent 100 items, and counting by ones, twos, fives, and tens. Each of these skills is critical to understanding math, just like grasping the connection between letters and the sounds they represent is a must-have skill for fluent reading. Number sense is so innate to many adults that they may not remember being taught such skills. It is crucial to mastering more complex math skills like manipulating fractions and decimals or solving equations with unknown variables, experts say. Research shows that a flexible understanding of numbers is strongly correlated to later math achievement and the ability to solve problems presented in different ways. Unlike the recent surge of evidence on science-based reading instruction, research and emphasis on number sense isn’t making its way into schools and classrooms in the same way. Students spend less time on foundational numeracy compared with what they spend on reading; elementary teachers often receive less training in how to teach math effectively; and schools use fewer interventions for students who need extra math support.

Many American students struggle in math. According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, nearly 1 in 4 fourth graders and 39 percent of eighth graders scored “below basic,” the test’s lowest category. An analysis of state tests shows that few states have recovered students from pandemic math losses, with disadvantaged students from low-income neighborhoods hit especially hard. For those struggling students — including those diagnosed with dyscalculia and related learning challenges — lack of number sense often plays a significant role. “For kids that have a fundamental weakness in mathematics, 80 percent or 90 percent of the time that’s going to be linked to a lack of understanding numbers,” said Ben Clarke, an early math researcher and department head of special education and clinical sciences at the University of Oregon. “If we want students to be able to access other pieces of mathematics that are really important, then they need to build this foundational understanding of numbers.” Doug Clements, the Kennedy-endowed chair in early childhood learning at the University of Denver, said many American students struggle with seeing relationships between numbers. “Children who see 98 plus 99 and line them up vertically, draw a bar underneath with an addition sign, then sum the eight and the nine, carry the one and so forth — they are not showing relational thinking,” Clements said. “Children who immediately say, ‘That’s 200 take away three, so 197,’ are showing number sense.”

Even in the early years of school, researchers can spot students who can make connections between numbers and use more sophisticated strategies to solve problems, just as some students start school already reading. Also as with reading, gaps between students are present on the first day of kindergarten. Students from low-income and disadvantaged backgrounds arrive at school with less math knowledge than high-income students. Boston College psychologist and early math researcher Elida Laski said research has found income-based differences in how families talk about math with children before they ever reach school. “Lower-income families are more likely to think about math as narrow, it’s counting and numbers,” Laski said. “Whereas higher-income families tend to think about math as more conceptual and around in everyday life.” These differences in thinking play out in how flexible students are with numbers in early elementary school. In one study, Laski and her team found that higher-income kindergarten and first-grade students used more sophisticated problem-solving strategies than lower-income students, who more often relied on counting. The higher-income students also had more basic math facts committed to memory, like the answer to one plus two.

The memory recall and relatively advanced strategies used by higher-income students produced more efficient problem-solving and more correct answers than counting did. Also, when students from high-income families produced a wrong answer, it was often less wrong than students who were relying on strategies like counting. Laski said many of the low-income students in the study struggled with addiction because they didn’t have a firm understanding of how basic concepts of numbers work. For example, “When we’d ask, ‘What’s three plus four,’ we’d get answers like ‘34,’” Laski said. “Whatever ways they’re practicing arithmetic, they don’t have the conceptual basis to make sense of it. They didn’t have the number sense, really.” Laski said early childhood classrooms could be “far more direct” with students in teaching number sense, weaving it in explicitly when working on more concrete skills like addition. Clarke, the early math researcher at the University of Oregon, agreed. “Our understanding has drastically grown in the last 20, 25 years about effective instructional approaches” to help students learn number sense, said Clarke. “If you are only going to get X number of minutes in kindergarten or first grade to support student development in mathematics, kids that are not responding to the core instruction — you have to be pretty focused on what you do and what you offer.”

But elementary school teachers often aren’t trained well on the evidence base for best practices in teaching number sense. A 2022 report from the National Council on Teacher Quality highlights that while teacher training programs have improved in the last decade, they still have a long way to go. By their standard, only 15 percent of undergraduate elementary education programs earned an A for adequately covering both math content and pedagogy. Teachers aren’t often taught to look at math learning as a whole, a progression of skills that takes students through elementary math, beginning with learning to count and ending up in fractions and decimals — something that some instructional coaches say would help emphasize the importance of how early number sense connects to advanced math. Grade-level standards are the focus that can leave out the bigger picture.

Both the Common Core State Standards and Clements, who served on the 2008 National Mathematics Advisory Panel and helped create a resource of early math learning trajectories, outline those skills progressions. However, many teachers are unaware of them. Instructional coach and math consultant Neily Boyd, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee, said she often works with teachers on understanding how one skill builds on another in sequence, how skills are connected, using the progressions as a jumping-off point. “When teachers have been trained on both the whole math concept and how the pieces progress from year to year, they’re able to teach their grade-level piece in a way that builds from the previous pieces and towards the future pieces,” she said. “Learning math becomes about widening and refining understandings you’ve already built, rather than a never-ending list of seemingly disconnected components.”

Young students also spend less time with numbers, which often only appear during “math time,” than they do with letters, reading, and literacy. “Often I’ll go into classrooms with literacy stuff all over the walls, but nothing in terms of number,” said Nancy Jordan, professor of learning sciences at the University of Delaware and author of “Number Sense Interventions.” “In the early grades, there are so many ways to build number sense outside of instructional time as well — playing games, number lines in the classroom. Teachers can think of other ways to build these informal understandings of math and relate them to formal understanding.” On a recent fall day at Nashville Classical Charter School, in Nashville, Tennessee, fourth-grade math teacher Catherine Schwartz was walking students through a complicated subtraction problem with big numbers: “Lyle has 2,302 dog treats, but he needs 13,400. How many more treats does Lyle need?” To solve it, students had to “subtract across zeros,” regrouping from one place value to the next. Subtraction’s standard algorithm is an important skill to learn, Schwartz said, but can’t be done well without strong number sense.

Number sense for older students has some of the same ideas of magnitude and relationships, Schwartz said, but the numbers get bigger. Students began the subtraction problem using 13 thousand and four hundred to recognize the magnitude of the numbers in each place value, for example, but slowly simplified it into the classic stack-and-subtract method. Schwartz, who has taught for seven years, said at first she didn’t realize how big a role number sense played in calculations like subtraction with big numbers. ”Number sense or number flexibility, it’s never truly named” in the curriculum, Schwartz said. “We try to practice it.” Even something as simple as counting big numbers, including hundreds thousands, and millions, some educators say, can help develop number sense. Counting might seem simple, but for young children, it’s foundational and essential. “These are really big ideas for little kids,” Jordan said.

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Black Americans Still Face Deep Retirement Gaps Despite Higher Incomes

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

A report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that Black Americans continue to face serious challenges in saving for retirement, even as their incomes grow.

The 2025 Retirement Confidence Survey, which included a special oversample of Black workers and retirees, found that the wealth gap remains wide at every income level. Among households earning $75,000 or more, only 33% of Black Americans reported having $250,000 or more in savings and investments, compared with 63% of non-Black Americans. Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.

While many Black Americans expressed confidence managing day-to-day budgets, fewer felt prepared to invest or plan for the long term. The study showed that Black Americans with higher incomes were less likely to have personally saved for retirement, 77%, compared with 87% of non-Black Americans. Retirement experiences also differed sharply. Forty-four percent of Black retirees said they retired earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability, compared with 32% of non-Black retirees. After leaving their main jobs, Black retirees were more likely to work for pay to make ends meet, and more often said their retirement lifestyle was worse than expected. Access to financial advice and planning remains uneven. Just 31% of Black respondents reported currently working with a financial advisor, although nearly half expect to do so in the future. Black Americans were more likely to seek help with reducing debt, creating wills or estate plans, and arranging life insurance than simply determining if they had saved enough to retire.

Researchers Craig Copeland and Lisa Greenwald wrote, “Black Americans reported disproportionately lower financial resources, and how they feel about retirement and financial security is clearly impacted by having less resources.” They continued, “In particular, Black retirees are struggling with higher likelihoods of their retirement lifestyle being worse than expected and having to retire earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability.” “Still,” the researchers concluded, “there are some modifications in the financial system that could help improve their prospects, such as increased assistance in balancing competing financial priorities like debt reduction, supporting family, and building long-term savings.”

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Scorching Heat Sparks Bipartisan Climate Alarm

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

The American Climate Perspectives Survey 2025, conducted by ecoAmerica, found that 86% of Americans say rising temperatures have increased their concern about climate change, with more than half reporting they are “a lot” more concerned. The sentiment cuts across demographic and political lines, with 97% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 79% of Republicans expressing heightened worry about the climate crisis. “Americans are connecting extreme heat to climate change, their health, and government inaction,” said Meighen Speiser, Executive Director of ecoAmerica.

Nearly nine in ten respondents recognize the toll heat is taking on public health, with 58% saying extreme heat affects health “a lot.” This awareness is remarkably consistent across racial, age, and income groups.  Among Black Americans, 91% said rising temperatures have intensified their concern about climate change, reflecting some of the highest concern levels among any group surveyed. Those concerns are not abstract. Decades of research by the Brookings Institution, NOAA, and others show Black communities often face the greatest exposure to extreme heat and the fewest resources to adapt. Studies have documented that historically redlined neighborhoods, where many Black Americans live, are routinely up to 10 degrees hotter than wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods nearby.

In cities such as Atlanta and Baltimore, Black homeowners are significantly more likely to face heat risks and energy insecurity, limiting their ability to cool their homes as temperatures rise. Nationally, Black renters experience higher rates of energy insecurity, with over half struggling to afford adequate cooling during heat waves. Meanwhile, the latest study also points to a notable shift in how Americans perceive the link between climate change and extreme weather. Eighty-two percent now believe that climate change is making extreme events, such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, more frequent and severe, up six points since 2021. The most dramatic change is among Republicans: the share who recognize that climate change is fueling extreme weather surged 17 points over four years, from 58% in 2021 to 75% in 2025.

These findings arrive as proposals to slash funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advance in Washington. The agencies are widely seen as the nation’s front-line defense against disasters and a critical source of weather forecasting and emergency relief. The risks are particularly acute for Black communities already facing disproportionate impacts from hurricanes and flooding, as seen in the devastation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and more recent storms that have repeatedly displaced predominantly Black neighborhoods in the Gulf Coast and Southeast.

The survey shows Americans are not just worried about rising temperatures — they’re anxious about the government’s readiness to protect communities. Seventy-nine percent said cuts to FEMA and NOAA make them more concerned about the federal government’s ability to respond to climate impacts. That includes 92% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans, underscoring that the anxiety is bipartisan.

Generational divides are also apparent. While 95% of young adults reported that extreme heat has boosted their concern about climate change, the figure was lower — but still significant — among adults over 65, at 70%. However, across all age groups, majorities agree that the crisis is escalating and requires immediate action. “These findings show it’s time to drop partisan politics and rather meet this moment with urgency, leadership, and protection,” Speiser said.

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Michael Jackson Estate Files Court Petition Alleging $213 Million Extortion Plot by Frank Cascio

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The court action, exclusively obtained by Black Press USA, reveals in unprecedented detail how the estate contends that Cascio and unnamed associates used their proximity to Jackson—once proudly touted in books and interviews—to demand a fortune from the most successful celebrity estate in history.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Estate of Michael Jackson has filed an explosive petition in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Frank Cascio, a man once described as Jackson’s “second family,” of masterminding a $213 million extortion plot to force payouts by threatening to flip decades of public support into salacious allegations about the King of Pop. The court action, exclusively obtained by Black Press USA, reveals in unprecedented detail how the estate contends that Cascio and unnamed associates used their proximity to Jackson—once proudly touted in books and interviews—to demand a fortune from the most successful celebrity estate in history. “For over 30 years, these individuals held themselves out as Michael Jackson’s most passionate defenders,” the petition states, quoting Cascio’s repeated assertions—under oath and on national television—that Jackson never harmed him or any child. “It was a shakedown,” the estate’s lawyers charged.

A Decades-Long Public Defense

As recently as 2011, Cascio promoted his memoir My Friend Michael, describing a warm, fatherly relationship with Jackson. “I want to be precise and clear, on the record, so that everyone can read and understand,” he wrote. “Michael’s love for children was innocent, and it was profoundly misunderstood.” He doubled down in dozens of interviews. During a 2005 ABC Primetime Live broadcast, Cascio—then using the name Frank Tyson—declared: “If Michael ever laid a finger on me, I would not be in this chair right now.” In a 2011 sit-down with Wendy Williams, he said with conviction, “Nothing at all. And that’s what makes me so upset,” when asked whether Jackson had ever acted inappropriately. Even years later, one of the respondents continued to insist Jackson was a target of “liars,” telling Oprah Winfrey during a televised interview: “Michael couldn’t harm a fly. He’s such a kind and gentle soul. Michael was a target.” In 2019, when HBO’s controversial Leaving Neverland documentary ignited a fresh wave of criticism and threatened multiple Jackson-related projects—including Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson ONE”—estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain, along with the Michael Jackson Company, sought Cascio’s support. Instead, they say, Cascio turned on them.

A Secret Settlement

Facing mounting public pressure and what they describe as repeated threats to invent new claims, the estate entered into a confidential settlement on January 10, 2020. Under the agreement, Cascio and his associates would receive millions over five years—$3 million each, according to sources familiar with the negotiations—in exchange for comprehensive waivers, a sweeping nondisclosure clause, and an ironclad promise to arbitrate any disputes. The estate said it acted reluctantly to protect Jackson’s children and preserve projects that would cement the late artist’s legacy. “We have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize the income of the estate,” Branca said in an earlier interview. “Our counsel insisted we sign the agreement. They didn’t want it disclosed either because Michael’s fans would have gone after these people.” The settlement contained an unusually strict provision barring even the disclosure of the agreement’s existence.

The $213 Million Demand

Despite having collected payments under that deal, Cascio, through lawyers, allegedly re-emerged in July 2024 with a stunning ultimatum: Pay $213 million more, or face a media spectacle. According to the court filing, Cascio’s legal team—then led by attorney Howard King—threatened to “expand the circle of knowledge” and leak allegations to the buyer of Jackson’s $600 million music catalog if their demands were not met. In one email sent August 29, 2024, King wrote, “We expect a substantive response by the end of day tomorrow. Otherwise, we will be forced to expand the ‘circle of knowledge.’” The estate called this an extortionate threat designed to pressure them into paying for silence. The estate responded by initiating a confidential arbitration proceeding on September 17, 2024, accusing Cascio of civil extortion and anticipatory breach of contract. Days later, Cascio’s lawyers delivered draft lawsuits “riddled with outlandish scurrilous allegations” that directly contradicted his years of public statements.

The Geragos Factor

By January 2025, Cascio had replaced his counsel with Mark Geragos—ironically, Jackson’s former defense lawyer who had proclaimed to Good Morning America that “there’s nothing sexual going on” and that Jackson was “100 percent innocent.” In his 2013 book Mistrial, Geragos wrote of Jackson’s 2005 acquittal: “The evidence was overwhelming that he never touched this kid, and the entire thing was a huge shakedown.” He also appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show in December 2021 to blast Leaving Neverland, calling it “a complete rewrite of history” and an “absolute travesty.” However, now Geragos has taken the opposite stance, representing Cascio in a renewed effort to file public litigation. According to the estate’s filing, Geragos lowered the demand to $44 million but warned that if the estate refused, they would sue for defamation, emotional distress, and an alleged “cover-up.” The estate insists these claims are “bogus” and barred by the original settlement’s releases and arbitration clauses. The petition points out that the agreement explicitly requires arbitration for any disputes, even the question of whether a claim is arbitrable. “The question of arbitrability is itself a question to be resolved finally by the arbitrator,” the contract states.

The Estate’s Broader Mission

This latest legal battle comes as the Jackson estate continues to flourish. Since Jackson died in 2009, Branca and McClain have transformed a $500 million debt into an empire generating over $3 billion. Projects include the record-breaking concert film Michael Jackson’s This Is It, Cirque du Soleil productions, and the upcoming Antoine Fuqua biopic MICHAEL, starring Jackson’s nephew Jaafar. Yet Branca says managing the estate means protecting it from opportunistic attacks. “Michael was acutely aware of the racial undertones in how he was perceived,” Branca told Black Press USA in a prior interview, recalling Jackson’s lament: “Sinatra’s the chairman of the board. Elvis is the king. Springsteen is the boss. But what do they call me? The Gloved One…that’s racist.” Branca added, “I definitely believe there’s a racist element in the media coverage of Michael Jackson since the 1980s. Michael got so big many were jealous.” The estate has requested that the court order Cascio into arbitration and award legal fees. If the petition is granted, any subsequent proceedings would take place in private. For now, the estate is vowing not to yield. “We will continue to manage the estate with the integrity and dedication that Michael deserved,” Branca said. “Attempts like this to tarnish his memory for financial gain will not succeed.”

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