States Take on the Math Malaise

Hi friends, it’s Kunjan Narechania . We’re back after our election-week hiatus. I know it’s hard for a lot of us to think about much else, but however you feel about last Tuesday’s results, the work of educating our students goes on. The bulk of that work will—and was always going to—take place at the state level.?

And states are talking about math.

Over the last decade or so, 40 states and D.C. have passed math focused legislation and I know more will in the 2025 legislative session.?

And earlier this month, ahead of its Annual Policy Forum, the Council of Chief State School Officers published a new paper from our team at Watershed Advisors analyzing the current research base and best practices and mathematics and providing concrete recommendations for state leaders to take action.?

According to NAEP data, the pandemic wiped out two decades of math gains—and then some—for American students, and gaps are widening. We absolutely need a national effort to boost math learning. Policy is an important first step — as we always say, it’s the starting line, not the finish line.?

So how should states tackle the math malaise?

1. You can’t teach what you don’t know: Most elementary and middle school teachers have not been taught math the way we are asking them to now teach math. That’s especially true when it comes to conceptual problem solving around things like fractions. Most adults today were taught procedural math (e.g. the formula to solve a particular problem) but not conceptual math (e.g. why the formula works). It’s very hard to explain why 25%=?=-0.25 in words and pictures if you were not taught that way yourself. As a result, I increasingly hear that elementary teachers are not teaching math every day or, if they do, just doing 15 minutes. System leaders need to create the space for teachers to learn the math they’re being asked to teach.
2. Don’t lose sight of the real goal for kids: While there have been many discussions about how to adjust high school level math sequences to be more relevant for students, let’s not forget that algebra continues to be a predictor of long term success for young people. Nationwide about ? of students are proficient on the 8th grade math NAEP. We should focus our efforts on helping more students master this important milestone.
3. Given these two points, choose great materials and support their full implementation: I know plenty of people are tired of hearing about HQIM, and I get it. Too often we talk about HQIM like a panacea when really it’s only a piece of the puzzle; and too often people forget that choosing HQIM is just step one of the implementation process. Still, given what we know about the challenges teachers face in teaching both conceptual and procedural math and given the urgency of getting our students across the Algebra finish line, states should start by upgrading our instructional materials. Strong materials serve as the basis for building teacher knowledge about math and teacher skill on the pedagogy needed to teach math. Once adopted, of course, the next step is to provide educators with both training on the materials and ongoing coaching on the use of the materials with their students.

I would be remiss if I didn’t repeat my usual reminder that passing legislation is just the first step in the process. It’s a big, important step, and it truly warms my math-loving heart to see states taking it on. But legislation alone won’t teach a single student to multiply fractions. For policy to make a real impact in the classroom, we have to map backwards from student to statehouse and ensure that teachers, principals, and district leaders all have what they need to turn the vision into reality.

Let’s Get Muddy

What creative approaches are you seeing to math at the state level? Are there instructional materials or PD programs that you’ve seen make a real difference in supporting teachers to teach math? We’re always on the lookout for what’s working and would love to hear from you.