NOVEMBER 9, 2022

Data Snapshot: K-12 Mathematics Instructional Materials

Learn more about the availability and use of high quality K-12 mathematics curriculum in this new report.

EdReports first launched reviews of comprehensive K–8 mathematics instructional materials in 2015. At the time, only one series met expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. In the past seven years, EdReports has seen significant improvements in materials after publishing educator-led reviews for more than 95% of the K–12 math comprehensive curriculum market. More than ever before, educators have high-quality materials to select from. This is critical because research shows that students learn primarily through their interactions with teachers and content.

However, despite the increased availability of aligned materials, the majority of students across the country still have limited access to the content necessary to prepare them for college and careers.

This Data Snapshot focuses on:

The availability of quality K–12 mathematics programs and how regularly these materials are utilized by teachers.
The extent to which materials provide culturally relevant content and support a diversity of student needs, including those of multilingual learners.
Teacher perceptions of their materials, what they prioritized in the content they are using, and how they felt their materials measure up to those expectations.
Important factors that influence the use of quality materials, such as ongoing access to curriculum-aligned professional development.

This study includes data from EdReports reviews, copyright dates, and data from the RAND Corporation American Instructional Resources Survey (AIRS) on curriculum use, teacher perception, and school context. In addition, these specific mathematics analyses draw on trends and research from across the curriculum marketplace published in the State of the Instructional Materials Market 2021: The Availability and Use of Aligned Materials.

READ THE FULL REPORT FOR OUR KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS >

Note on terminology: At EdReports, we use the term “multilingual learners” when we refer to students who are developing proficiency in multiple languages including students learning English as an additional language in school. This choice is the organization’s attempt to use more asset-based language. The majority of states and school systems along with the United States federal government continue to use the terms: “English Learner” (EL) and/ or “English Language Learner” (ELL). While we are shifting our language, we understand that many of our stakeholders, including curriculum publishers, continue to use EL and ELL. As you explore the content on our website, you may see a mix of these terms when EdReports is referencing outside sources or research that use designations other than multilingual learner. We defer to the primary source terminology when directly citing external information.