New York City Students Are Capable of Deep Mathematical Thinking
Across New York City, educators are working every day to ensure that students experience mathematics as meaningful, connected, and rigorous.
IM® K–12 Math v.360 supports coherent, problem-based instruction that strengthens mathematical reasoning, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency—together.
Evidence from District 11
Nearly 25 percentage points of growth in three years.
After adopting IM Math in 2022, District 11 in the Bronx saw math proficiency in grades 3–8 rise from 25.8% to 50.6% by 2025, nearly doubling the percentage of students meeting grade-level standards. Gains were consistent across grades, with significant progress for students with disabilities (+15.8 points) and English learners (+17.1 points).
As New York City expands access to IM Math through NYC Solves, District 11 provides clear evidence that when high-quality curriculum is paired with sustained professional learning and system-wide alignment, students rise to the challenge and deliver measurable growth.
Math Proficiency Growth by Grade (2022–2025)
*Note on assessment context:
New York State updated its mathematics assessments beginning in 2023, with changes phased in over multiple years. These updates should be taken into account when interpreting proficiency trends across time. Despite these changes, District 11’s post-2023 data show sustained improvement across grades and student groups.
Designed for the Priorities of New York City
In a system as large and dynamic as New York City, coherence matters.
When instruction is intentionally sequenced within and across grades:
Students experience mathematics as connected rather than fragmented.
Teachers share a common instructional language.
Coaches support instruction with clarity and focus.
Schools build stability over time.
IM v.360 is a fully coherent K–12 curriculum aligned to the New York State Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards and grounded in decades of research on how students learn mathematics.
What Learning Looks Like in IM Math Classrooms
At IM, we believe all students are capable of learning grade-level mathematics when they have access to rich tasks and consistent support.
In IM classrooms, students:
engage
in meaningful problems that require reasoning and sensemaking
explain
and refine their thinking through mathematical discourse
connect
procedures to underlying concepts
develop
fluency through understanding
Carefully structured lessons are designed to build conceptual understanding while intentionally developing automaticity with foundational skills such as multiplication.
A Closer Look at Fluency in IM K–5 Math
- Built Into the Lessons
Students develop flexibility, efficiency, and accuracy while exploring representations, strategies, and algorithms. - Practice Through Centers
Centers allow students to recall facts, compute mentally, and write true equations, building procedural fluency in ways that are meaningful and connected to concepts. - Measuring Progress
Monitoring sheets aligned with unit goals help teachers track fluency growth within and across grades. - Fluency AND Conceptual Understanding
Students practice skills while analyzing and explaining their thinking.
Download your free guide to Fluency Development within IM K–5 Math today!
“IM Math helps students develop a deep conceptual and procedural grasp on mathematics, which means they are not only well-prepared for standardized tests, they’re also building critical thinking and problem solving skills that will serve them all their lives.”
— Barrington Henry
Academic Dean & STEM Department Lead, New York City Department of Education
Supporting the Work of Teachers and Coaches
Teaching mathematics well is complex intellectual work.
IM v.360 is designed to support that work. It provides:
- Clear, learnable instructional routines
- Sequenced lessons that reduce fragmentation across units and grades
- Embedded supports for anticipating and responding to student thinking
- Opportunities for meaningful mathematical discourse
- Curriculum-based professional learning aligned directly to daily instruction
For math coaches, the coherence of the curriculum creates a shared foundation for instructional conversations. For teachers, it offers clarity without removing professional judgment.
Building Lasting Instructional Strength
Improvement in mathematics does not happen through materials alone. It develops when students, teachers, coaches, and leaders share a common understanding of what high-quality instruction looks like.
When students have consistent access to coherent instruction, their understanding deepens. Teachers refine their craft. Schools build confidence in their instructional direction.
Our role is to support New York City educators in that ongoing work.
What Does Sustained Implementation Look Like in Real Schools?
Across boroughs, educators are aligning curriculum, professional learning, and classroom practice to support meaningful mathematics learning for every student.
Read more about mathematics classrooms across New York City:
The gains in math achievement experienced by District 11 in New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) are not the result of a sudden shift or a one-year initiative. They reflect years of deliberate, system-level work focused on instructional coherence, high-quality materials, and sustained support for teachers.
When members of the Illustrative Mathematics team recently spent a day inside two co-located schools in District 11 of New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), we expected to see solid instruction.
What we experienced went further than that.
When districts commit to high-quality instructional materials and the conditions that make strong implementation possible, the impact on student outcomes can be powerful—and measurable.
A new parent poll from EdTrust–New York marks the first step in a statewide effort to better understand persistent challenges in mathematics instruction and outcomes. The findings offer important insights into what families are experiencing, what they value, and what they want to see from schools and systems moving forward.
These stories reflect ongoing work—not quick fixes—and the steady, sustained effort required to improve mathematics instruction at scale.
IM® Certified curriculum distribution partners
Start Your IM Certified® Journey
Looking for printed materials or enhanced digital platform access? Explore options through our IM Certified® Curriculum Distribution Partners to request samples or purchase materials tailored to your school or district’s needs.
Have questions?
Want a more in-depth conversation about curriculum access, digital platforms, or professional learning options? Schedule a conversation with our team.
