August 7, 2025
For decades, WestEd experts have worked to address barriers to math success, conducting rigorous research and evaluation to identify actionable strategies that support improved teaching and learning. This Back-to-School Spotlight explores research-informed approaches to improving math instruction, including professional learning and evidence-based interventions.
Helping Educators Overcome Math Anxiety
Research shows that early math skills are among the strongest predictors of later academic achievement in both math and literacy. Yet many educators struggle with math anxiety and a lack of confidence in teaching foundational math concepts.
California’s Count Play Explore initiative aims to address this very issue. In partnership with WestEd, the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools developed suites of professional learning resources designed for facilitators, coaches, and other professionals working with educators of young children. These resources help spark the joy and wonder of math and science for young learners and the adults who care for and educate them.
Facilitators from 25 California agencies reported greater confidence in providing professional learning to educators in their local communities after participating in the Count Play Explore professional learning and coaching. These facilitators showed the following improvements:
- more positive math mindsets
- a deeper understanding of early math development
- increased confidence in their training and coaching practices
“Count Play Explore’s professional learning addresses the whole person—their feelings, attitudes, and barriers from past experiences, not just their technical knowledge. This creates learning experiences that are meaningful, collaborative, and transformative, ultimately building educators’ confidence and capacity to provide positive early math experiences for children.” —Osnat Zur, Senior Researcher at WestEd
Read more about Count Play Explore.
Reaching PreK Learners Through Evidence-Based Math Interventions
Children often face challenges in their math development before they even start kindergarten. But the good news is that with early intervention, we can help these kids build a strong foundation. Those entering preschool with limited math skills may be at a higher risk of struggling later on, but recent studies highlight effective strategies for providing the support they need.
WestEd’s Kylie Flynn and Alice Klein recently shared promising findings from two randomized studies on the PreK Mathematics Tutorial, an intensive, small-group intervention. The PreK Mathematics Tutorial is designed to assist children at risk of math difficulties in developing essential skills through engaging, hands-on activities that concentrate on numbers, operations, and spatial reasoning.
The research showed consistently positive outcomes across various delivery models, highlighting the effectiveness of the intervention in fostering foundational math knowledge among young learners.
Read more about the PreK Mathematics Tutorial.
Removing Barriers in Postsecondary Math
Not having a foundational understanding of math has been proven to delay and, in the worst-case scenario, derail postsecondary success.
WestEd’s Carnegie Math Pathways brought attention to this harsh reality when it launched its Statway and Quantway courses on college campuses nationwide over a decade ago. These courses introduced a groundbreaking approach to college-level math instruction that moves away from the traditional college lecture model.
An article about Carnegie Math Pathways’ work with tribal colleges reflected the following:
“Students, not the teacher, are the center of instruction. Class activities are tailored to create a supportive learning environment, reducing anxieties that undermine learning. From the start, students work together in groups, collaboratively wrestling with real-world problems relevant to their lives. … A camaraderie develops… evolving into trusting relationships in which it’s okay to admit being lost or confused.”
Students taking the Statway and Quantway courses (now available as open educational resources) complete their math requirements at three times the rate of their peers.
Learn how Carnegie Math Pathways helps transform math struggles into math success for all learners.
Key Takeaways for Education Leaders
- Invest in professional learning that helps educators develop confidence in their abilities to provide effective math instruction.
- Implement evidence-based early math interventions to ensure young children receive the targeted support they need to succeed.
- Offer meaningful, student-centered math instruction and support at postsecondary levels.
Improve Math Teaching and Learning With WestEd
With a focus on access, outcomes, and excellence, WestEd works to transform math education from a barrier into a building block toward student success at every level of education.
Contact us to learn how we can support math instruction at your institution.
More Math Education Resources
From research reports to just-in-time webinars, WestEd experts share a wealth of evidence- and research-based strategies to help both educators and learners thrive in math. Here are some recent resources:
- Read our Back-to-School Math Education E-Bulletin (August 2025)
- In this on-demand webinar, explore strategies that help guide students in contrasting correct solutions with common pitfalls, deepening their mastery of essential math standards, and enhancing their conceptual understanding.
- Our new Perspectives series offers research-based strategies to address today’s most pressing challenges in math teaching and learning.
More Related to This Post
Insights & Impact
Resources
Browse our high-quality publications and resources designed to inform and engage professionals in a variety of fields including K–12 education, early childhood, and health and justice.
