Standard L.1. Advocating for Ambitious Instruction and Equitable Structures for Teachers and Students

EMSs recognize that students are often: marginalized based on culture, race/ethnicity, language, economic class, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation; and denied meaningful mathematics based in part on biased perceptions, stereotypes, and actions, which broadens the opportunity gap. Understanding this, EMSs use their professional agency and collaborations to change perspectives, practices, and structures. Specifically, they support colleagues in reflecting on their beliefs, privileges, and biases; press for practices that support ambitious and equitable teaching and improved student learning opportunities; and advocate for structures that support high expectations for all learners, access to rigorous mathematics content, the use of high-quality instructional materials across the school, and carefully considered approaches to assessment. They serve in positions of influence within their school, district, community, and profession, functioning as change agents who have the abilities to challenge and dismantle biased beliefs, practices, and structures.

L.1.a. Influencing policy and practice to ensure equitable access to meaningful and important mathematics  

EMSs evaluate educational structures and policies that affect students’ equitable access to high-quality mathematics instruction and take actions to ensure that all students have opportunities to learn meaningful, important, and relevant mathematics. They do this in part by evaluating the alignment of mathematics standards, instructional materials, and formative and summative assessments, and then making recommendations for addressing learning needs without limiting learning opportunities for students. For example, they encourage learning acceleration rather than remediation for students who may benefit from additional support to access grade-level content.

EMSs speak and act with intentionality. They aim to disrupt problematic practices and structures that marginalize students by instead expanding their opportunities to learn mathematics. EMSs are committed to eradicating mathematics as a gatekeeper, and instead advance the study of the subject and connect to workforce opportunities. They collaborate with school-based professionals to develop evidence-based interventions for students who would benefit from more time and support as well as those who would benefit from more challenge. EMSs share information with colleagues within and beyond their context regarding how local, state, and national trends and policies may impact classroom practices and expectations for student learning. Aware of structures that limit students’ opportunities to engage in rigorous mathematics, EMSs work to dismantle inequitable structures such as student tracking, ability grouping, repeating the same Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) goals year after year for a student, and labeling based on test scores or similar factors, as well as teacher tracking, which limits students’ access to experienced teachers (100). All in all, EMSs challenge policies and practices that limit students’ opportunities to learn and foster continuity of the mathematics program across the school and district.

EMSs attend to the ways historical biases have limited student access and are aware of local and regional efforts that may politicize mathematics education. They advocate for the rights and needs of all students and collaborate with invested others to secure resources (e.g., financial support, human and material resources, ongoing mathematics professional learning opportunities, collaboration time) that support each and every student’s learning. EMSs also advocate for mathematics education and the profession in contexts outside of the classroom, school, or district (e.g., instructional materials adoption committees, state or local standards development, teacher evaluation standards and processes). They communicate effectively, using a culturally responsive, strengths-based approach with targeted audiences (e.g., school- and district-based professionals, students, families, community members, teacher candidates, university partners).

L.1.b. Collaborating with others (101) to ensure high-quality, rigorous core instruction and appropriate interventions aligned horizontally and vertically

EMSs collaborate with colleagues to develop knowledge and skills focused on research-informed ambitious and equitable mathematics teaching practices. These practices cultivate deepened mathematical understanding (e.g., implementing tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving, building procedural fluency from a deep and flexible understanding of mathematics, differentiating with an eye on the Mathematical Storylines provided in the Content Knowledge section of these guidelines) in a supportive and responsive classroom environment (e.g., inviting a broad range of representations, honoring multiple strategies, positioning students as experts, using high-quality instructional materials consistently and responsively). When working with colleagues across the school, EMSs use research on mathematics teaching and learning to identify, plan for, and facilitate instruction that meets the needs of all students, while attending to the simultaneous goals of developing broad and deep mathematical understandings and positive mathematics identity for students and colleagues regardless of where mathematics instruction occurs (102).

EMSs provide, or support others with, just-in-time scaffolds, modifications, or extensions at the classroom or school level. They are the “go-to” mathematics educators in the building seeking to develop coherence across students’ mathematics learning experiences both horizontally and vertically. They encourage responsive use of instructional materials and humane approaches to instruction and assessment. Whether working in the context of a pull-out or push-in model for intervention, EMSs advocate for learning experiences that actively engage students as mathematical doers, knowers, and sense makers with grade level content. They may do this through direct work with students or through work with teachers or paraeducators who provide mathematics instruction. In this work, EMSs support others to develop skills related to eliciting learners’ informal knowledge and existing understandings, supporting development of new knowledge, and using the information responsively to guide next steps instructionally.