ASA K–12 Data Science Education Outreach Team Director

Kaycie Maddox is the ASA K–12 Data Science Education Outreach Team Director. She provides leadership in the creation and presentation of professional development materials for teacher educators and teachers, presents at national conferences, conducts workshops, collaborates with ASA chapters to enhance their education initiatives, and assists in outreach to the STEM education community.

What initially drew you to education and what keeps you passionate about it today?

I was initially drawn to education by my desire to help students understand mathematics. So many of my friends struggled with achievement in their math courses, and I found I could explain concepts in a way that made sense to others.

As I began to tutor middle and high school students while I was in college and even early in my teaching career, I honed those skills of explaining procedures and rules so others could perform them. However, I soon realized my tutoring efforts were short lived. Most students had difficulty holding on to the explanations I supplied. Through some incredibly timely and job-embedded professional learning, I came to understand my job as a teacher was to lead students to reveal their own thinking about mathematical and statistical concepts and to then develop their own deep understanding and connections about them.

My students, from all backgrounds and perceived abilities and aptitudes, began to develop deep conceptual understanding that was actually retained. Their newfound achievement in grades, test scores, and better behavior was noteworthy by my colleagues, as well as my school leadership. That experience changed the trajectory of my teaching career and subsequent leadership as a professional learning provider for mathematics and statistics. I was asked to write an article about this experience for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Mathematics Teaching Learning Teaching in their section titled “Teaching Is a Journey.” It was Volume 115, Issue 06, published in June of 2022.

What books, people, or philosophies most influence your thinking about education?

Dr. Thomas Cooney, professor emeritus in mathematics education at the University of Georgia, has been an incredible influence on my teaching philosophy and beliefs. He and his doctoral students brought his transformational message of revealing student thinking into my classroom for three years as they gathered research on what they called “alternative assessment.”

They crafted assessment items that promoted students sharing their understanding of mathematical and statistical concepts—not procedures—leading to the opportunity for students to refine and retool their thinking. They also trained me in the art of crafting this type of assessment question. This alternative way of posing questions was used during instruction, as well as on quizzes and tests. When I first saw the LOCUS [an NSF-funded project focused on developing assessments of statistical understanding] items, I was so excited to see that others understood this ability to create and pose questions to elicit student understanding.

The second most impactful professional learning I have experienced as a teacher was that of National Board Certification in Mathematics for Adolescence and Young Adulthood. The certification requirements were geared toward how I could make an impact on my students collectively, as well as individually. I also found my voice as I wrote the four modules for the National Board, learning to express what I had come to understand about student learning clearly to an audience of readers who likely had different perspectives from my own.

I have also been highly influenced by the research of John Hattie from the University of Auckland on strategies to reveal and solidify student understanding of deep concepts. His research is not specific to mathematics and statistics, though the findings of what makes the biggest impact on student learning are valuable to these specific areas, as well as to other academic areas. Interestingly, I later learned Dr. Hattie was instrumental in the development of National Board Certification here in the US.

What ASA professional development opportunities are you most excited about?

I am most excited about the Stats&DataNet professional learning opportunities the ASA will offer starting in July of 2025. Stats&DataNet is the new branding for what was formerly Meeting Within a Meeting and Stats Chats from the ASA. I have been privileged to teach for MWM on several occasions, as well as participate in a few of the Stats Chats.

These professional learning experiences offer opportunities for K–12 teachers to connect with experts in statistics and data science through lessons that can be used immediately and expertly within their own classrooms.

There is nothing more exciting than working with teachers, using statistics and data science lessons that promote authentic student understanding, and building teacher confidence at the same time.

Outside of working with teachers and students, what energizes and refreshes you?

My faith in Christ Jesus is the driving force for everything I do. And this faith has led me—called me—to working with and encouraging students and teachers to help them on their journeys for teaching and learning. Seeing teachers lead their students to ownership of mathematical and statistical concepts makes my heart sing every time.

What are the biggest challenges for K–12 education, and what new initiatives are you hoping to work on to meet these challenges?

One of the greatest challenges in K–12 education is ensuring equitable access to high-quality teaching and learning for every student. In my experience, it is rare to encounter educators and school leaders who do not care deeply about their students. However, that care does not always translate into innovative, consistent strategies that empower students to take ownership of their learning. While it is essential to value and support students as individuals—nurturing their self-esteem and self-confidence—our responsibility must go further. Truly caring for students means equipping each one with the academic tools and critical thinking skills necessary to thrive in a complex and rapidly changing world.