Math for All is an intensive professional learning program that helps teachers of grades K–5 personalize high-quality, standards-based mathematics education to better meet the needs of a wide range of learners, including those with disabilities. Math for All was developed by Education Development Center in collaboration with Bank Street College of Education and with funding from the National Science Foundation. A research grant from the Institute of Education Sciences allowed us to establish Math for All’s promise for positively impacting teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and classroom practices, and students’ performance on mathematics achievement tests. Currently, funding from the U. S. Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research Program is supporting our research on the broad-scale implementation of Math for All in a variety of settings and with diverse high-need populations across three different states.

Unlike other mathematics professional learning programs that focus on mathematics content or teaching strategies, Math for All focuses on helping teachers better understand how individual students learn mathematics and supporting teachers in using this understanding to plan more accessible mathematics lessons. This video illustrates the core features of Math for All that are designed to help teachers do this. These include (1) using a neurodevelopmental framework to help teachers better understand the demands of mathematical activities and individual students’ learning profiles, and (2) asking teachers to plan adaptations to mathematics lesson by focusing on one student (a “focal child”) whom they have questions about regarding mathematics. Interviews with Math for All teachers and facilitators illustrate how these strategies have led to critical changes in teachers' beliefs and classroom practices, as well as improved mathematics outcomes, not just for the focal student, but for many students.

Presented in: 2022 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grade Level: Grades K-6