At MIND Research Institute, our mission is to ensure that all students are equipped to solve the world’s most challenging problems.
By all students, we mean all students across all dimensions of diversity and background.
Our mission requires us to build solutions that provide personalized pathways to high math achievement for each and every student, and that are available and accessible to all students.
In alignment with our mission, MIND is elevating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to the forefront of everything we do – who we are, the programs and services we create, and who we partner with.
All students have an unrivaled asset with unlimited creative power: the human brain.
Mathematics is a gateway subject to a vast range of fields and is a key to unlocking our full potential.
Due to deficiencies and inequities in education, the world is currently deprived of the full wealth of capabilities that are latent in every student.
Inequities in math education are of utmost concern and require MIND’s immediate focus and resolute commitment, whether those inequities arise from gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or any other dimension of diversity.
By focusing MIND’s innovation resources on eliminating inequities, we will empower the full brilliance of all students and we will also elevate math education for all students.
To address these inequities, our historical approach to teaching math in abstract problem-solving contexts is not sufficient. Our solutions must also exhibit the rich and diverse history and cultural connections of mathematics and foster positive math identities for students, families, and educators.
Mathematically equipping all students is not just for solving problems in science, technology, and engineering. Math is also a powerful driver of social change, personal growth, and the full spectrum of human creativity.
For years there was a belief that simply improving underserved students’ access to technology would have a tremendous impact on the achievement and equity gap. But it hasn’t.
According to the 2018-2019 Annual Infrastructure Report by CoSN (in which the largest number of respondents were from small districts), 92% of respondents reported all schools in their districts are meeting the FCC's short-term goal of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students.
Access to technology (internet, devices) has improved dramatically, though as we learned with the recent COVID-19 school closures, there are still many students for which access is still a barrier. And even when students have access to resources, there is another digital divide that schools are facing—how technology is being used. Equal access to technology is not providing equitable learning opportunities for students.
The Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology defined the digital use divide as separating “students who use technology in ways that transform their learning from those who use the tools to complete the same activities but now with an electronic device (e.g., digital worksheets, online multiple-choice tests).” Multiple studies and reports have provided evidence of the digital use divide between underprivileged students in poorer districts, and students in more affluent ones.
At MIND, we believe challenges like the digital use divide contribute to what we call the Experience Gap.
At MIND, we want our internal environment to align with what we want to see reflected in our products and our communities. The following definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion are applicable to our organization as well as our products and services.
We will honor and represent people and contributions from a variety of races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, socio-economic statuses, ages, abilities, and backgrounds
Every perspective is important, and everyone should see themselves in math
Math is from everywhere,
in everything, and for everyone
All voices are heard, and are meaningfully and authentically part of the conversation
Committing to diversity, equity, and inclusion is central to MIND’s mission – to ensure that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the world’s most challenging problems.
For years, we have prioritized our work to make ST Math effective for all students.
We’ve focused on visual learning to remove linguistic barriers. We’ve created scaffolded, mastery-based content that allows students to be successful on grade level. We’ve conducted extensive research on our efficacy. We’ve reached out to Title I schools to help them understand the benefits of ST Math. And we’ve secured donor funding to bring the program to communities that need it most.
We’ve got powerful data that shows how effective ST Math is at ensuring equitable access to deep conceptual understanding.
But that’s not enough.
We’re listening, we’re learning, and we’re growing as an organization.
Today and tomorrow, we are hard at work to develop a true culturally relevant math curriculum.
A curriculum where students see their brilliance reflected back at them. A curriculum that focuses on their strengths, not their weaknesses.
For MIND, DEI is not a trend. It’s not a buzzword. And it’s not a box-checking exercise.
This is critical to our mission and we have accomplished much.
But the work is not over, and never will be over. We are always looking to grow, to learn, to iterate, and to improve in service of our students and educators.
Providing education, training, and awareness to MINDers
Ensuring equitable and diverse hiring practices
Cultivating company culture and connection in many ways, including employee-led affinity groups
Actively engaging in conversations, practices, and celebrations that uplift the full and diverse spectrum of MIND and the communities we serve
Ensuring students see themselves as mathematicians and are equipped to solve the world’s most challenging problems
Empowering educators to see themselves as change agents to bring equity and inclusion into their classrooms
Partnering with donors that share our vision for math education
Viewing our students and communities from an asset-based lens because we see the strength and math capabilities inherent
in everyone
Developing culturally relevant
math curriculum
Creating robust learning experiences that share the global history of math and our students’ rich inheritance
Designing for all instead of the average – measuring student success in math based on the average can miss how we are failing certain groups
Shifting from a deficit to an asset lens and implementing a strength-based approach at scale
Establishing and applying a DEI standards framework to our products and services, to include assessment and evaluation
For MIND, DEI is not a trend. It’s not a buzzword. And it’s not a box-checking exercise.
This is critical to our mission and we have accomplished much.
But the work is not over, and never will be over. We are always looking to grow, to learn, to iterate, and to improve in service of our students and educators.
When it comes to DEI for math education, it’s not just about modifying some of our internal practices, or adding new products and offerings to our line up.
It’s about changing the narrative for students, educators, families, and communities.
“Who can do math?
“Who contributes to math?”
“Who are the math powerhouses?”
The answer in each case for every student should be: “Me!”
School, home, and community are all crucial components of a student’s learning ecosystem, and we work to support that holistic system. Through MIND's programs inside and outside of the classroom, as well as a growing library of learning and teaching resources, MIND works with teachers, administrators, families, and strategic partners to support students inside and outside of the classroom.
When it comes to DEI for math education, it’s not just about modifying some of our internal practices, or adding new products and offerings to our line up.
It’s about changing the narrative for students, educators, families, and communities.
“Who can do math?
“Who contributes to math?”
“Who are the math powerhouses?”
The answer in each case for every student should be: “Me!”
