Math achievement is critically important to the changing global economy. In order to be successful, students must develop a strong foundation in mathematics early in their school careers. But the training elementary teachers receive doesn't always prepare them to teach math well, and math anxiety can keep both students and teachers from reaching their full potential. This report explains why early math learning is so important, the current state of math instruction, issues with elementary teacher preparation and professional development, and how math anxiety impacts achievement. It also presents recommendations state leaders can use to help raise the math achievement of their students.