Friends—
A new report from RAND’s American Youth Panel of nearly 2,000 students reminds us that young people bring tremendous mathematical curiosity to class—even if many don’t yet call themselves “math people.” When asked “have you ever considered yourself a math person,” 30% of middle and high schoolers responded no. Early-grade teachers in particular are sparking durable confidence: every student who did adopt a math identity said it happened in elementary school. That’s a profound asset to build on.
Students also told RAND exactly what keeps their interest alive: lively, face-to-face instruction and math they can trace to real-world problems. When classrooms pair quality materials with hands-on applications, boredom drops and persistence rises—key levers for accelerating unfinished learning post-pandemic.
Our charge is clear: equip educators with engaging, relevant curriculum and professional learning that transforms latent talent into lasting mastery. Adults need it too. Check out Steve Strogatz’s recent columns in the NYT for a little inspiration. And in upcoming Momentum, we will start to describe emerging lessons we are learning through our AIMS collective.
These days, it’s easy to find the discouraging headline and feel defeated. Instead, let’s keep driving forward, investing in the people, tools, and experiences that help every child see themselves—proudly—as a math person.
In partnership,
Bob Hughes
Director, K-12 Education
Quick takes
New research maps a clearer path to Algebra I success
Why it matters: A TNTP and New Classrooms study of 2,000 students shows that catching students up on unfinished learning doesn’t mean covering everything—it’s about precisely addressing the high-leverage, pre-requisite skills that help unlock new learning. Students who received aligned, coherent instruction mastered twice as many concepts and were more likely to score proficient on the Algebra I assessment.
The bottom line: Focusing on “the key predecessor skills that unlock access to new Algebra I content” is critical. It helped students catch up and move forward faster. The study also shows instruction that is tightly aligned—across tutoring, interventions, and core classroom teaching—offers a scalable model for helping students not only recover unfinished learning, but accelerate beyond it. Read more here.
Zearn boosts math gains in Texas trial
Why it matters: A large-scale randomized controlled trial of 10,000 students in grades 3–5 across 64 schools in a major Texas district found that Zearn improved math performance, especially for students starting below proficiency.
The bottom line: The study offers causal evidence that high-quality digital tools like Zearn can drive measurable gains in math achievement. Students using Zearn saw a +0.11 standard deviation (SD) increase on the NWEA MAP test, and those below proficiency saw a +0.13 SD gain—equivalent to a 4 percentile-point jump over two years. This suggests real potential to close math gaps early.
Bookmark This! The National Math Improvement Project
Why it matters: As summer kicks off in earnest and school districts begin planning for what’s ahead in the new school year, the National Math Improvement Project blog is a place to visit. From case studies to personal reflections, the learnings here are a roadmap to future math success.
The bottom line: Rich in resources about best practice and shared learnings, their blog features math insights from academic leaders from six of the nation’s largest urban school districts. This one is one of my favorites.
What we're reading
AI helps math teachers build better ‘scaffolds’