Northwest Indiana needs young people to study math
Debates about education often focus on reading scores, school funding or the role of technology in classrooms. Yet one subject sits quietly at the center of our national competitiveness: mathematics. The importance of young Americans studying math is not just an academic concern. It should be a strategic national priority. Student success in math or the lack of it will shape our future.
Math is the language of modern power.
Industries driving our economy rely on mathematical thinking, not just plugging numbers into formulas. Math is used to model complex systems and interpret data to solve problems. Math is fundamental in the creation of clean energy, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.
We would never have gotten to the moon and back without brilliant minds using complex math. We do not all have to be rocket scientists, but we do need to encourage young people to embrace basic math early on.
International mathematics assessments show U.S. students perform in the middle of the pack compared with other nations. According to the Program for International Student Assessment, the U.S. ranked 34th among 78 countries in math in 2022. We fall well behind countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Poland and many others. The global competition for talent is real. We should be treating math like the holy grail — not some unscalable mountain wall.
Over my career, I have had the opportunity to travel on international sales trips with the State of Indiana, which included a delegation of business leaders, university presidents and often the governor. Leaders of some of the countries we visited, most notably, Japan and China, were very interested in talking with our university presidents. With internationally recognized universities like Purdue University, University of Notre Dame and Indiana University, they all wanted their children to be educated in Indiana and return home to work in their countries.
The argument for focusing on math education is also about opportunity. Math is essential for most well-paid careers. Whether a student dreams of becoming president of a large corporation, an engineer, a nurse, a climate scientist or a biologist; math proficiency opens doors. Unfortunately, math anxiety or weak proficiency can quietly close doors long before a young person even realizes it.
This is especially true for students from underserved communities. When schools lack strong math instruction, students lose access to entire career pathways, further widening the inequality gap that reinforces economic divides. Ensuring that all young people study math at a high level is one of the most powerful tools we have to expand upward mobility. It‘s not just about producing more engineers; it‘s about giving every student the chance to fully participate in our modern economy.
At Purdue University Northwest, we witness this firsthand every year, particularly in our admissions process. For many majors, standardized test scores such as the SAT or ACT provide one indicator of academic preparation. In fields that require a defined level of quantitative proficiency, we also use the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces assessment to evaluate students‘ readiness for college-level mathematics.
Different fields of study require distinct levels of math proficiency, and the ALEKS test becomes a gateway for the various fields. Note that college-level expectations in math haven‘t really changed, but student preparation has. Many students arrive having been exposed to math, but without having fully mastered it.
Much of the problem is cultural. Unfortunately, in the U.S., it is socially acceptable — even fashionable — to say, “I‘m just not good at math.” Conversely, no one goes around saying, “I can‘t read.” This mindset becomes self-fulfilling, and young people disengage before they‘ve even had a chance to grow.
The truth is that math is not about a talent some people are born with. It‘s about persistence, curiosity and the willingness to wrestle with challenging ideas. When students experience math as a creative, exploratory discipline rather than a series of rote procedures, they thrive.
We as parents, business leaders and elected officials need to shift our communications around math from one of intimidation to one of empowerment.
That‘s right, empowerment … let‘s all work together to empower more young people to excel in math. ▪
Read more stories from the current issue of Northwest Indiana Business Magazine.
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