During the 2016-17 school year, 175 teachers in six school districts participated in a yearlong beta release of the Illustrative Mathematics 6–8 Math curriculum, designed to foster the continuous improvement of the materials.
The feedback that emerged from those partner districts, as well as the praise from pilot users, cemented our sense that this curriculum is very special.
Please don’t take our word for it. Here’s what educators have to say:
"I love my students’ reactions to the content—the level of engagement, their participation in the hands-on elements, and my sense that they had a deeper understanding of the concepts. The activities are actually relevant to kids."
—Gayleen Gomez, Teacher
Galt Joint Union ESD (CA)
"This curriculum is exciting. It will energize you so that you can energize your students."
—Marchand Connolly, Instructional Coach
Tumwater School District (WA)
“This is the complete, aligned, big-picture-driven curriculum that we have been seeking for many years. There are products on the market aligned to content or practice, but the Illustrative Mathematics 6–8 Math curriculum is truly the first that aligns in equal intensity to both. We are excited to move to a district-wide adoption in all three grades this year.”
—Stefanie Buckner, Mathematics Curriculum Specialist
Buncombe County Schools (NC)
“I am happy to say that this was my first year of my 11 years of teaching in which I have taught the entire math curriculum and all math standards. Whoop whoop!”
—Elaine Trull, Teacher
Galt Joint Union ESD (CA)
“I always believe that kids should be talking, and they should be talking more than myself. This curriculum has allowed me to shift to an orchestrating role in a much greater capacity.”
—Carey Doyle, Teacher
Evergreen Public Schools (WA)
“The student thinking is the driver behind all of the conversations; students do the reasoning, then it's the teacher's job to bring them to the mathematical understanding. And the materials support that beautifully—they give anticipated misconceptions, so teachers can anticipate ways that kids might think about problems. The materials give questions helping teachers to guide the discussion, and they give support for ELL students or students with disabilities.”
—David Parascand, Math Specialist
Tumwater School District (WA)
"I used to spend hours looking for rich tasks, but now I have them built into a curriculum!"
—Becky VanSant, Teacher
Fort Zumwalt West Middle School (MO)
“We adopted the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum district-wide because we saw huge increases in student engagement with the materials. Students were constantly talking about math, using precise language, and constructing mathematically sound arguments. The curriculum facilitates productive struggle for our learners, and teachers have been excited to shift their instruction from being the ‘sage on the stage’ to the ‘guide on the side.’”
—Corrine Williams, Mathematics Specialist
Evergreen Public Schools (WA)
"The five practices are very much alive in each of the lessons. Teachers don’t have to work hard to employ them, they are scripted into the lesson plan."
—Melina Dyer, Instructional Coach
Evergreen Public Schools (WA)
"We're moving so fast in terms of what we're teaching and what students are learning."
—Debra Spector, Teacher
Galt Joint Union ESD (CA)
“I have been surprised by how well the students have responded to and risen to the rigor. There were things I didn't think they were ready for, but I allowed them to struggle and debate, and they rose to the occasion. They are capable of that level of rigor. In our math PLC, we have questioned whether they could do it, but they do, and they have.”
—Debbie Steffen, Teacher
Evergreen Public Schools (WA)
“While the exceptional quality of these materials is our primary focus, we are also drawn to the potential of materials that marry superior standards-alignment with affordability, as Open Educational Resources.”
—Steve Holmes, Superintendent
Sunnyside USD (AZ)
