Recent assessment scores show that math achievement has declined across the nation. This Spotlight offers diverse solutions to support educators in learning recovery and acceleration, including online professional learning for teachers, supplemental lessons for middle-grade students, and high-dosage tutoring for young learners. 

Free Online Professional Learning for Middle-Grade Math Teachers 

Group of middle school studentsVideo in the Middle offers middle-grade math teachers 40 free, standards-aligned online modules based on the latest research in mathematics education. Each 2-hour module is designed around a lesson—such as Connecting Different Representations or Examining Slope and Y-Intercept—and features actual classroom video footage. 

VIM module design places a video clip at the center, or “in the middle,” of a professional learning experience as teachers participate in online mathematical problem-solving, video analysis of classroom practice, and pedagogical reflection. There are activities before and after each clip that are designed to ensure that the teachers engage deeply with the mathematics content and the focal instructional components.  

Get started with Video in the Middle. 

Helping Students Understand the Value of Math

Citizen Math Impact StudyCitizen Math offers standards-based math lessons that connect learning to real-world issues and prepare middle-grade students to be informed and thoughtful individuals.  

The supplemental math lessons are flexibly implemented alongside any core curriculum and intended to encourage students to work together; explore math in real-world situations that are relevant to their lives and experiences; and develop math skills, critical thinking abilities, and civic-mindedness. 

Lesson materials include instructional support resources with guidance on timing and structure, mathematical objectives, discussion prompts, exemplary student responses, and teaching tips. 

Join the Citizen Math Impact Study for free access and training.

High-Dosage Tutoring to Promote Children’s Math Learning  

Children participating in the Pre-K Mathematics Tutorial ProjectAs the National Center for Education Statistics continues to release information about the amount of learning loss caused by the pandemic, many education leaders and districts are prioritizing tutoring programs to support students who have fallen behind and to address lost instructional time. 

WestEd Senior Project Directors Kylie Flynn and Alice Klein lead a team successfully delivering high-dosage tutoring to more than 100 preK children in 28 classrooms in Sacramento, California, with promising results. 

In this Q&A, Flynn and Klein discuss the program’s history and impact on students, including critical takeaways for districts considering implementing high-dosage tutoring programs to support preK children who are behind in their mathematical development. 

Read the interview.

Subscribe to the E-Bulletin 

E-Bulletin FeaturetteStay informed about WestEd’s research, resources, services, events, and career opportunities by subscribing to our E-Bulletin. Our July 2023, Volume Two issue explores how states, districts, and schools can improve math teaching and learning. The issue features the following: 

  • New! Free Online Professional Learning for Math Teachers 
  • 7 Essential Practices for Leading Change 
  • Helping Students Understand Why Math Is Important 
  • Accelerating Impact and Educational Equity in Algebra
  • Providing High-Dosage and High-Quality Math Tutoring 
  • Preparing Young Children for Elementary School Math 
  • Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education in Math 
  • How Technology-Based Support Impacts Math Learning 

View the latest E-Bulletin. 

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How is your state, district, or school working to improve math achievement? Engage in the discussion with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.