A recent Center for Reinventing Public Education (CPRE) report finds pandemic recovery “slow and uneven” with historically marginalized students affected most. Another analysis estimates an average need of over 4 months’ extra math instruction for students to catch up to pre-pandemic levels.
Findings like these may not be surprising, but they continue to be deeply concerning and call upon educators to take urgent action. Fortunately, per the CPRE report, the field is “learning what works—and doing more of it,” including implementing high-quality curriculum. While many factors impact what happens in the classroom, materials have a significant influence on teachers’ instructional decisions and therefore on students’ opportunities to learn.
Quality math materials are more available and more widely-used than ever. But there’s a lot of room to grow, particularly when it comes to equitable access. TNTP’s The Opportunity Myth found that “students spent more than 500 hours per school year on assignments that weren’t appropriate for their grade,” with even lower access to strong instruction and resources for historically marginalized students.
High-quality materials are not an instant cure-all, but they’re a key lever for addressing long standing inequities.
Notably, the report also found that, “when students who started the year behind had greater access to grade-appropriate assignments, they closed the outcomes gap with their peers by more than seven months.” High-quality materials are not an instant cure-all, but they’re a key lever for addressing long standing inequities. That’s why EdReports strongly supports the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (NCTM) Guiding Principle “that all students have access to a high-quality mathematics curriculum, effective teaching and learning, high expectations, and the support and resources needed to maximize their learning potential.”
What makes for a high-quality, equitable math curriculum?
Content-focused indicators of quality in math materials include alignment to content standards and the instructional shifts and integration of the Standards for Mathematical Practice. Markers of equitable curriculum include evidence of culturally responsive practices and supports for diverse learning needs, including those of multilingual learners.
However, these elements are not separate—they’re interdependent and mutually reinforcing. A math program grounded in focus, coherence, and rigor allows all students to build a broad skill set via a structured, intentional learning approach. This fosters student confidence to tackle complex problems independently, developing a strong and positive sense of self as an active math learner.
A quality math curriculum fosters student confidence to tackle complex problems independently, developing a strong and positive sense of self as an active math learner.
Materials must also enable students to apply mathematics to the real world via the Math Practices, including making sense of problems and persevering in solving them, using modeling to test and refine hypotheses, and analyzing and questioning structures. This gives all students equitable opportunities to cultivate essential skills they need for college, careers, and future success.
Quality materials also require student supports, including giving multilingual learners access to the same grade-level content as their peers. What’s more, developing math vocabulary and language proficiency is vital for all learners regardless of home language, allowing them to fully engage with Math Practices such as constructing viable arguments and communicating with precision.
Finally, an equitable, quality math program is one in which students see their own experiences and communities reflected authentically and gain authentic insight into communities outside their own. As math educator Neven Holland explains, “when math materials reflect the lived experiences of students, students are then able to make sense of the content, become engaged with the content, and become more confident.”
3 key factors for selecting and using math curriculum
1. Center teachers in the selection process
Conducting an educator-led selection process is crucial if students are to benefit from high-quality, equitable materials: because materials don’t teach kids, teachers do. Involving teachers in selection leverages not only their first-hand knowledge of your community and students but also their expert insight into what actually works in the classroom.
There’s a direct line from centering teachers in curriculum selection to giving every learner equitable access to quality, grade-level math content.
Ensuring educator representation increases transparency in the adoption process. It also builds those teachers’ experience with, and confidence in, the materials once adopted. This sets them up to be trusted champions of the new program among fellow educators, helping to increase buy-in and usage of the materials. In other words, there’s a direct line from centering teachers in curriculum selection to giving every learner equitable access to quality, grade-level math content.
2. Define your “why”
For a new curriculum to contribute to more equitable learning outcomes, you have to get crystal clear on your community’s needs and district priorities. This means establishing a vision for quality math teaching and learning that incorporates all relevant markers of quality, highlights the context and requirements of your community, and emphasizes the importance of meeting the needs of all learners.
You also need to analyze data to compare your current state against your instructional vision. This will help you establish additional criteria to inform your curriculum search: for example, applying an equity-focused lens to confirm that any new math program you select will better serve students who have been previously marginalized.
3. Careful selection and strong implementation
How you select is just as important as what you select. Promoting equity via high-quality math materials necessitates treating curriculum choice as a decision worthy of study and prioritization.
One fundamental consideration is professional learning, and you need to consider it in two contexts. Before the adoption process, invest in professional learning for committee members to ground their work in a shared understanding of why materials matter, and of the essential elements that make for an equitable, quality math program.
How you select is just as important as what you select.
Then, throughout selection and implementation, curriculum-based professional learning for all district teachers must be top of mind. Whatever math curriculum you choose, educators deserve ongoing professional learning in order to make the most of the program and ensure every student gets full access to its quality content.
EdReports’ 6 Key Adoption Steps provides a clear structure and a wealth of resources to support a strong selection process. This includes guidance on investigating and piloting materials, community and stakeholder engagement, planning for professional learning, a robust decision-making process, and thorough implementation.
As former NCTM president Dr. Trena Wilkerson writes, “We must believe each and every student can do mathematics, and we must follow that belief with actions that support that belief.” Selecting and using high-quality math materials is imperative for teachers to hold high expectations of every student, and for every student to see themselves as a competent, versatile mathematician.
