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The report, "The State of Math Instruction: Equity, Access, and Outcomes," reveals that only 41% of students in grades three through eight and 45% of 10th graders meet grade-level expectations in math on state assessments. The findings come as Massachusetts experiences one of the fastest-growing gaps in eighth-grade math achievement in the nation.
"There are so many pieces to the puzzle when it comes to improving math outcomes—and we have to bring them all together," said Jennie Williamson, state director for EdTrust in Massachusetts. "When students lack access to high-quality, coherent, and rigorous instructional materials and access to well-trained educators who can deliver this type of instruction, the impact goes far beyond test scores."
According to the report, while 69% of districts report using at least one high-quality math curriculum, 29% are using curricula that either do not meet expectations or have not been rated by EdReports, an independent nonprofit that evaluates instructional materials. An additional 2% of districts did not report their curriculum usage at all.
The analysis reveals troubling patterns in curriculum access across grade levels. Implementation is weakest in elementary and high school grades—critical periods for building mathematical foundations and preparing for college and career. Access peaks in seventh grade at 56% but drops to just 42% by high school.
"When their lessons don't challenge or support them, they begin to disengage, lose confidence, and stop believing they can succeed in math," Williamson said. "And when that happens, we don't just lose future engineers, carpenters, or scientists—we lose curious, capable problem-solvers whose potential was never fully realized."
The report finds that Black and Latino students, multilingual learners, students from low-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities are disproportionately performing below mathematics benchmarks. The lowest-performing students—the bottom 10%—are declining at an especially rapid pace.
