Publication
The Case for Mathematics Coherence
What six districts taught us about building coherent mathematics systems—and the next opportunity for the field
Over the past decade, districts have made significant investments in high-quality instructional materials and grade-level mathematics. Yet students experience much more than their core curriculum throughout the school day. They move among intervention, assessments, supplemental programs, digital tools, and other supports, many of which were never designed to work together.
The Case for Mathematics Coherence examines what TNTP learned from studying six districts working to create more connected mathematics experiences for students. Across districts, we found promising approaches and a persistent challenge: educators are often left to build the connections among instructional products themselves.
That matters especially in mathematics, where learning builds cumulatively and students with unfinished learning need targeted support that connects directly to grade-level content. TNTP’s prior research shows that student learning can accelerate when those connections are made intentionally.
The findings point toward the next opportunity for the field: designing curriculum, intervention, assessments, and emerging technology to work as parts of a coherent instructional system rather than as separate solutions educators must stitch together.
Download the brief to explore lessons from six districts and what they mean for the future of mathematics instruction.
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About TNTP
TNTP is the nation’s leading research, policy, and consulting organization dedicated to transforming America’s public education system so that every young person thrives.
Today, we work side-by-side with educators, system leaders, and communities across the nation to reach ambitious goals for student success.
Yet the possibilities we imagine push far beyond the walls of school and the education field alone. We are catalyzing a movement across sectors to create multiple pathways for young people to achieve academic, economic, and social mobility.