From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Daniel A. Smith, University of Florida

From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Cristobal Young, Stanford University

Which measures will help close the academic achievement gap between low- and high-income students remains a matter of intense policy debate. One idea has been to extend the school year in order to give students more learning days, while another strategy has involved school districts offering summer programs targeting under-performing students.

Algorithms — a series of steps undertaken to solve a particular problem — are an integral element of our digital environment. Operating in search engines, personalized news systems, global financial markets, political campaigns and many more areas, algorithms hold ever-increasing power in society, as they steer decisions and make choices about what is or isn’t important. However, as algorithms become even more complex, concerns continue to grow over their lack of transparency.