Washington state faces a growing teacher shortage, especially in bilingual education, math, science, English language development, and special education. And its teacher workforce is much less diverse than the student population. To reduce these challenges, state education leaders want to encourage limited certificated teachers to become fully…

This article draws attention to the discrepancy between how math is taught in special education and general education classrooms, the consequences of this discrepancy, and how teachers can teach higher order math concepts to a wide range of learners, including students with moderate special needs, using empowerment math principles. Students…

Math achievement plays a pivotal role in students' success in school and beyond. Algebra, in particular, serves as a crucial gateway: it increases the chances a student takes advanced math in high school, which has implications for their college and career prospects. In 2023 and 2024, the American Mathematics Educator Study (AMES) surveyed…

Multilingual learners (MLs), also referred to as English learners (ELs) in US K-12 public schools, and specifically newcomer MLs who have been in US schools for 2 years or less, are expected to learn the English language and reach grade level standards as their monolingual English-speaking peers. Mathematics education in the US has struggled over…

Mathematics teachers may at times take on the role of counselors to address the "math anxious" in their classrooms. Today math anxiety is real and is a factor in attracting young people to many STEM fields. By the time many young people reach middle school, they have developed certain dispositions toward mathematics. What strategies will…

A major challenge faced by elementary education programs is the vast amount of content preservice teachers must master in various subject areas. With limited time and coursework, how can teacher preparation programs scaffold meaningful experiences and provide a progression of opportunities to aid preservice teachers in mastering this content and…

The United States has relinquished its mathematical prowess enjoyed in the 20th century with trending declines in performance on international and national measures and must make a concerted effort to regain this standing in the 21st century. Success in mathematics education also is important for individual citizens because it gives them college…

The author's statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions on the challenges faced by America's classroom teachers focuses on a few of the factors that lead to teacher frustration and burnout that higher pay, however well-intended, does not change. They include, but are not limited to, poor teacher preparation,…

The National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention (NCLII), a consortium funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), prepares special education leaders to become experts in research on intensive intervention for students with disabilities who have persistent and severe academic (e.g., reading and math) and behavioral…

Students are guaranteed, by legislation, a math education that focuses on the process of mastery learning, and that incorporates an Indigenous worldview. The issue is that some teachers and principals are apprehensive or do not have the skill or knowledge to support mastery learning and Indigenous worldview in math. This article is not a…

Indiana continues to experience significant challenges in filling vacancies in its teacher workforce. Fewer students are enrolling in educator preparation programs; and, among those who do enroll, only 16% are actually teaching in an Indiana classroom. In a 2021 survey, 96% of Indiana districts reported teacher shortages--with significant…

Most professional development opportunities for early childhood teachers are offered as face-to-face sessions (in various formats, including workshops, coaching, and college courses), tailored for teachers in traditional school- or center-based child care, offered during a traditional academic year, or during summer, or on professional development…

In Colorado, where higher education institutions are not graduating enough candidates to fill open teaching jobs, particularly in specializations such as math, several initiatives are working to improve rural teacher recruitment and retention. Through scholarships, state university partnerships, a multidistrict professional learning community, and…

Teachers have long struggled with the tension between ensuring a rigorous education for all their students and the reality that students arrive at the start of a school year with vastly different skills and conceptual understandings. The tension can be even more acute in math, which relies heavily on students mastering foundational concepts in…

This case study highlights a high school math teacher's successful journey of taking the steps needed to move away from traditional teaching methods to innovative pedagogies supporting mastery-based teaching and learning. Mastery-based learning (also called competency-based learning) is a shift away from traditional, one-size-fits-all teaching.…