We believe that students should be at the center of the classroom, and that every student must have access to rigorous mathematical content.

An essential component of equity in mathematics is the use of pedagogical practices which give all students opportunities to engage in the mathematical practices around meaningful mathematical ideas in ways that increase student voice and agency.

By 2017, the UA developed and piloted Algebra Success, an innovative math program meant to address lagging math efficiency and test scores in UA schools. Algebra Success rapidly spread to 12 schools over 3 years and saw significant increases in the number of 9th-grade students who took and passed the New York State Algebra Regents exam. The total pass rate climbed 16 percentage points between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years (from 44% to 60%). Although the Regents exam schedule was impacted by the COVID-19 crisis in the 2019-20 school year, the number of 9th graders who passed, based on credit accumulation, was at 88%.

With the success of the Algebra Success model in our schools, the Urban Assembly looks to scale the model to high-needs schools where math proficiency scores historically lag behind, ensuring students pass the Algebra Regents exams and ultimately increase their access to higher-level math courses.

At the heart of Algebra Success are our discourse strategies: teacher moves that promote equitable classrooms by giving students daily opportunities to communicate their mathematical thinking with a focus on enhancing agency. Discourse strategies...

• Are instructional routines designed to develop students’ mathematical reasoning by giving all students the space to engage in low-risk noticing activities.

• Allow students up to grapple with and generalize powerful mathematical ideas.

• Provide ways to teach students how to articulate their thinking and create coherent mathematical arguments.

• Align with the CASEL SEL standards, offering students opportunities to reinforce and practice SEL skill development in a challenging academic context.

The Urban Assembly is a school support agency that develops learning tools and programs that boost student growth and school performance. Our mission is to advance students' social and economic mobility by improving public education.

From 1997 - 2011, the UA, in partnership with the NYC DOE, created 20 small, career-themed, unscreened public middle and high schools that offered specialized, career-focused education that was accessible to all students. Now a school support organization to a network of 23 founded and adopted schools, the UA serves a population of 9,000 students, of which approximately 90% are Black and Latinx, 86% are from low-income families, 21% have special education needs, and 74% enter the UA performing below grade level in math and English. Our schools outperform other schools in the system with higher graduation rates (89% vs 81% citywide). On average, only 16% of students enter UA schools proficient in math. By the time they graduate more than 66% of students demonstrate college readiness in math.