In a 2017 internal research study of mathematics instruction in EL Education schools, one of the most significant findings was the consistency of “math culture lead.” All of the top-performing schools had a person in this role, and that the role was considered to be fundamental to each school’s success. Importantly, these individuals were dedicated math leads. They were not a school leader, and they were not a math coach. School leadership always cares about math, but they usually lack the time to devote to being an effective, change-making math lead. Math coaches tend to focus on assessment and remedial math teaching. These are invaluable components of a math culture lead, but they are not the whole picture. Usually math coaches do not handle (and are not paid to handle) the cultural leadership components which made the difference in the top-performing EL schools identified in the 2017 study.

So what exactly is a math culture lead? In the EL schools identified in the 2017 study, the job titles varied,but the responsibilities were similar, and included:

• Leading the school’s vision, growth mindset, and continuous improvement culture in mathematics

• Overseeing the strategic plan for faculty and student growth in mathematics

• Establishing school-wide common structures, vocabulary, and practices for problem-solving and mathematical fluency

• Improving the curricula being used in the school—pacing it, adjusting it, supplementing it, and differentiating it to meet the needs of all students and to align it with state test content and timing

• Leading faculty professional learning, in both mathematics instruction and also the individual mathematics content knowledge and skills of teachers

• Supporting teachers to expertly use and enrich both core and supplementary curricular resources, and to connect with broader resources and experts

• Coaching teachers in the ongoing collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data of student understanding and performance

It can be an internal staff member (lead teacher or instructional coach), or it can be an external math expert consulting with the school on a significant basis (e.g., at least 25 days annually).

How Does This Role Differ from the Math Coach Role Currently in Most Schools?

Our research found that many schools have a math coach—an internal or district-based mathematics instructional coach—but that in most cases that coach did not have the same scope of responsibilities. Those coaches were not typically elevated to the role of leading an explicit school-wide culture of mathematical learning for all teachers and students. They were not focused on establishing and reinforcing common structures, vocabulary and practices, or on improving teacher content knowledge in mathematics. They had little time to connect with the national terrain of current trends and resources in mathematics learning. Often, their time was spent primarily in problem-solving and support roles: leading assessment data inquiry cycles to repair gaps in understanding around particular concepts, or with specific classrooms or subgroups of students; and in coaching new and struggling teachers.

How do I choose the right person for the job?

The ideal candidate for a math culture lead is someone who is passionate about mathematics instruction and someone who can effectively communicate with the teaching staff and secure community buy-in. A teacher with the capacity for school leadership would be an excellent candidate. A consultant or other external resource focused on this work would also be an effective choice. In the top-performing schools highlighted in the 2017 EL study, the individuals serving as math culture leads were mostly instructional guides (for mathematics), former teachers, former admins, or external consultants with a point person within the school.

Regardless of whether you chose an external or internal candidate, you should look for the following characteristics [consider the following questions?]:

• What is this person’s mindset and belief about teaching and learning mathematics?

• What is the person’s experience in teaching and learning mathematics? (Do they have the range to support the grade levels of your campus?

• What is this person’s experience in leading change?

• What is this person’s experience in coaching teachers?

• How much time will this person need to have available for this work specifically?

• What support will this person need in development? How can this be provided?