TH NKING

D FFERENTLY
ABOUT

MATH
 THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT MATH

Introduction
At NCEE, we look across the world for innovative and successful
policies and practices, grounded in research and supported by
the wisdom of practice, to share with our partners. In response to
concerns about student performance in mathematics, particularly
following the precipitous drop in test scores following the
pandemic, NCEE searched globally for strategies that might help
U.S. educators address this challenge. Although U.S. scores on the
recent PISA math assessment fell less dramatically than in many
other systems, the United States continues to lag behind global top
performers in this subject, some of whose students are years ahead
of ours.

We looked to these global leaders for lessons, inspiration, and tools

for U.S. educators. We also identified states and districts in the
United States that are making changes similar to the policies and
practices we see in leading systems. These states and districts offer
opportunities to see how international approaches can play out
here at home.

As we sought to learn more, it raised questions about some long

standing assumptions regarding math classrooms in the United
States. This led us to consider how we might think differently about
what math is taught, how it is taught, and how students learn
math.

1 Thinking Differently About Math

 This brief is organized around a set of “thinking differently” topics to inspire you while also presenting global
policies and practices that provide insights into how to improve math success for students in the United States.

? Thinking differently about math content. How does math content in systems that perform well in this
subject differ from the United States and how is it changing?

? Thinking differently about curriculum and instruction. What is different about how these systems teach
math and what changes are underway here at home?

? Thinking differently about personalization. How do these systems serve the needs and interests of math
students?

? Thinking differently about instructional time. How do leading systems leverage this key resource for
improving teaching and learning in mathematics?

? Thinking differently about providing support for teachers. What supports do leading systems have in
place to ensure that math teachers can do their best work?

In each area, we:

Surface thought-provoking Offer interesting examples of Ask probing questions about

observations about ways what global leaders do differently the potential for improving math
these systems approach math and how states and districts are performance and what the policy
differently. implementing similar strategies. implications might be.

The possible topics and thought-provoking

observations are numerous. Our list is not exhaustive
and is meant to give just enough examples to help
nudge your thinking. We invite you to approach this
paper in the spirit of exploration, as the first step in
a journey of discovery. What are key differences in
their policies and ours? What’s different from our
current thinking and approaches? What’s the same?
What’s interesting? What needs a further look? Make
your own observations, frame your own questions,
look for more examples, and examine the impacts of
policy differences.

Let’s think differently! Together.

2 Thinking Differently About Math

 THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT

Math Content
What systems teach and how they prioritize topics and skills can be quite
different, even for a universal subject like mathematics. Thought-provoking math
content observations include looking at how some systems update math content
as well as shifts in math content that include elevating the role of statistics and
probability and highlighting the role of calculations fluency.

Thought-provoking observations and interesting examples:

Updates to math content create notable changes in what is

taught.

Leading systems update curriculum often, some in regular cycles, which means that
math content and approaches to learning reflect new priorities and research about
learning. Identifying countries and states with more recent updates can give insight
into longer-term changes that are underway, offering a glimpse of policy and practice
trends that are worth a closer look.

Examples

• Korea released an updated curriculum in 2022 which narrows content in

elementary and middle school math to allow more time for deep learning. It also
added more statistical modeling, data literacy topics, and career-linked math
across the levels of school along with more math course choices added to the
high school curriculum. It is notable that Korea updates its curriculum regularly,
with partial updates at least every five years and full updates every ten years.

• Virginia released new math standards in 2023, adding data literacy and more
clarity of key math processes, providing more opportunities to apply and
deepen learning, embedding process goals in content more explicitly. The state
requires that its standards are reviewed every seven years.

• Ontario, Canada released a new math curriculum in 2020 which extended its
common math curriculum by one year through 9th grade. It added coding and
financial literacy and expanded the focus on math calculations as well as use of
data and infographics. Ontario also streamlined required learning outcomes by
about 25 percent.

• Georgia released new math standards in 2023. Its goals were to focus more
on strategic math thinking and reasoning to better reflect what is needed in
workplaces; the standards added more math modeling and statistical analysis.
3 Thinking Differently About Math
 Data, statistics, and probability is a core strand across early grade levels and is a
major area of focus within mathematics.

U.S. states often introduce statistics and probability in 6th grade, including it as a major strand only in middle
school, and then as an option in 11th or 12th grade following algebra and geometry. In other systems across the
globe, it is taught across all grade levels and is one of a very limited number of strands used to organize math
content. Statistics is introduced in the early grades and continues through compulsory high school courses with
an increasing number of statistics and data-based electives.

Examples

• In Ontario, Canada data is one of five math content strands in the province’s K–8 math standards and its
Grade 9 common math course . The other strands are number, algebra, spatial sense, and financial literacy.
The province added Mathematics of Data Management and Mathematics for Work, which includes a
focus on statistics, as an option for 11th and 12th grades.

• Minnesota’s new draft math standards for college, career and civic engagement include anchor standards
spanning kindergarten through graduation. Among these are Data Sciences and Chance and Uncertainty
(probability applied to real world problems).

• Singapore’s primary and secondary math syllabi include statistics and data for Grades 1–9. The other
areas of content are number and algebra, and measurement and geometry.

• Florida’s Benchmarks For Excellent Student Thinking added data analysis and probability as a core strand
of K–5 math.

• Korea has a strand of statistics and probability for Grades 1–9, and as well as for its Grade 10 and 11
core math courses. They have also added new electives in high school including AI Math and Practical
Statistics.

• In Hong Kong, data handling is one of three strands for primary school through Grade 9 and is one of
three required topics in high school compulsory math. The other strands in Grades 1–9 and topics in high
school math are number, algebra and measures, and shapes and space.

Within Ontario’s data strand for K-5,

students learn to collect and organize
data, create data visualizations, analyze
data, and use probability data to make
predictions.

4 Thinking Differently About Math

 Calculation fluency is a priority.

Some leading systems highlight essential math calculations and

procedures as a major strand in their curriculum, guided by the
idea that learning these step-by-step processes and procedures is
key to success in higher level math. Others place calculation and
procedures within math content strands like number and algebra,
as is typically done in U.S. states. Striking the right balance between
conceptual understanding and fluency in procedures is emerging as
a discussion in the math community in the United States that can be
informed by the approaches of global models.

Examples
• In British Columbia, computational fluency is one of five strands of math through Grades K–8 curriculum.
The other strands are number, patterning, geometry and measurement, and data and probability.

• Virginia added a computations and estimations strand to its K-8 math standards in 2016, and expanded in
its 2023 revision of its standards.

• In Estonia, calculations is a strand for Grades 1–6, and is expanded to calculations and data in Grades
7–9. The strands vary by stage in Estonia. For Grades 1–3, the other strands are measurement, geometric
object, and geometric figures. In Grades 4–6, they are data and algebra and geometric figures, and
measurement. In Grades 7–9, they are percentages, algebra, functions, and geometry.

• Florida added a procedural fluency and basic fact automaticity appendix to its math standards in 2019.

• In Japan, numbers and calculations is one of four math strands for Grades 1–9. The other strands are
quantities and measurement (Grades 1–6), change and relationships (Grades 7–9), and utilization of data.

• Massachusetts’s 2017 revision of its math standards aimed at “clearer expectations for student mastery
of basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts”.

5 Thinking Differently About Math

 Mathematics Content Strands in Grades 1–9 Notes

Grades 1–8
British Columbia

Grades 1–3

Estonia
Computational Fluency Calculations
Number Measurement
Patterning Geometric Object
Geometry Geometric Figures
Measurement
Data & Probability Grades 4–6
Data & Algebra
Geometric Figures
Measurement
Hong Kong

Grades 1–9
Number & Algebra Grades 7–9
Measures, Shapes, & Space Calculations & Data
Data Handling Percentages
Algebra
Functions
Geometry
Ontario

Grades K–8
Number
Algebra
Grades 1–9
Japan

Data
Numbers & Calculations
Spatial Sense
Quantities & Measurement
Financial Literacy
Change & Relationship
Utilization of Data
Korea

Grades 1–9
Number & Operations
Singapore

Grades 1–9
Change & Relationships
Measurement & Geometry
Figures & Measurement
Number & Algebra
Statistics & Probability
Statistics & Data

Probing questions:

? As you reflect on some of the major math content strands in other countries,
how do they vary from the United States and from each other? Is there
anything about the content taught in these systems that you want to learn
more about?

? Is there current content in your math curriculum that might be useful to

reconsider? Any areas that need more focus? New topics that should be
included?

?
What are policy implications for updating standards or shifting content in
the United States?

6 Thinking Differently About Math

 THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT

Curriculum &
Instruction
How a system organizes curriculum and its approach to instruction is critical to
success in teaching and learning. Thought-provoking curriculum and instruction
observations include looking at systems that use curriculum alignment to set
clear goals, that integrate math into other subjects and interdisciplinary learning
experiences, and that leverage technology to enhance learning in math.

Thought-provoking observations and interesting examples:

Highly aligned curriculum and instruction set clear goals

for teaching and learning.

In many leading systems, the government creates a national (or jurisdiction)

curriculum with content standards and assessment criteria as well as guidance
on teaching. Often, instructional materials— including model lessons, texts, and
tools— are provided. In this way, curriculum and instruction is in sync and works
as a seamless system with clear, aligned goals for teachers and learning. This
goal clarity gives teachers direction and helps them work more efficiently and
effectively. Even when teachers choose among materials developed by private
publishers, the extensive specifications in the national curriculum, required
review processes, and tight connections between the ministries of education
and curriculum developers often mean that materials are well-aligned.

Examples

• Korea’s Ministry of Education creates its own texts for each subject but
also approves materials created by private publishers or by teachers. It
hosts a national platform with approved digital resources and is currently
creating digital texts for core subjects.

• Louisiana and Tennessee developed processes to review and recommend

available curricula that align with their state standards and approach to
learning.

7 Thinking Differently About Math

 • Hong Kong recommends specific aligned texts in its curriculum guides, but also provides model lessons
and activities for teachers to use and adapt. These are available as supplements to the curriculum and on
the Education Bureau’s portal, EdCity.

• In Estonia, the Ministry of Education and Research relies on private publishers to develop texts and
materials in core subjects. It only develops materials in areas where there is not a large enough market
for the private sector. Estonian publishers work closely with experts from the Ministry and the two major
universities to develop texts. As of 2020, Estonia developed a full suite of digital tools to enable schools to
digitally deliver the full curriculum.

• Massachusetts created a review process and related training for districts to use when selecting
instructional materials that meet their goals.

Some systems take a modular approach

to organizing math content in their
curriculum.

The curriculum is organized into smaller “chunks”

that work together as a system to enable student and
teacher success. These elements have clear goals and
content for each unit or module. When pulled together,
they provide a clear, manageable roadmap through
the content for teachers and students, and provide
flexibility and choice in teaching and learning.

Examples

• Hong Kong organizes its Grade 1–9 math curriculum into units for each stage of learning. For Grades
1–3, for example there are 38 sequenced units. Units are organized by strand and tightly focused on
specific content, with only two or three learning outcomes. Explanatory notes provide clear guidelines for
instruction, specifying teaching approaches that are required and providing guidelines to support teacher
choice.

• Finland organizes upper secondary school subjects into modules, each worth a specific number of credits,
allowing students to take coursework in small units, with tests of mastery following each. Schools are
required to group modules into study units.

Math is integrated across the curriculum.

Some countries distribute responsibility for math instruction across the curriculum as part of policy. These
systems explicitly integrate math in other subjects, and include math as part of required cross-disciplinary
projects and themes. As a result, math is taught by more than just math teachers and it is made relevant for
students as it is applied across a variety of subjects and types of assignments.

8 Thinking Differently About Math

 Examples

• Estonia’s math curriculum includes “Options for Integrating Math with Other Subjects” and details how
it can and should be applied in languages and literature (such as clear written explanations of tables
and graphs); natural and social sciences (such as modeling problems), art and music (such as intervals,
measures, and note durations expressed as fractions), technology and even physical education (such
as interpreting numerical data to compare sports results). Estonia also has a specific set of cross-
curricular topics that schools are required to organize learning around. These include environmental and
sustainable development, cultural identity, technology, and innovation. Schools organize thematic projects
across different subjects.

• In Madera, CA, 8th graders spend a semester in a half-day career exploration program where they learn
about high school career and technical education (CTE) pathways while meeting their English Language
Arts (ELA) and math requirements. Students in Entrepreneurship and Marketing learn math while
developing a business and marketing plan for a new business or product.

• Hong Kong’s math curriculum guide suggests how to use math concepts in STEM, technology, languages,
and other subjects. Examples include: design of joint math and science around topics such as representing
and comparing sizes of cells using scientific notation; suggesting that teachers use well-designed
e-learning materials that would allow students to conduct experiments that involve large amounts of
repeated computations; and understanding the history of mathematical thinking and the role of Chinese
mathematicians in contributing to our understanding of astronomy or the modern calendar.

One school in Finland organized teaching around

the working life and entrepreneurship transversal
competence. Sixth graders designed a “mini-city”
where students worked in different professions,
earned money, and acted as consumers and
citizens. Ninth graders created companies
designed to compete in the global market,
complete with a business plan. Both projects drew
extensively on math.

• In Finland, schools are required to develop seven transversal competencies, and can choose to organize
teaching around those themes. Competencies include participation in building a sustainable future;
multiliteracy; information and communication technology (ICT); and learning to learn. Schools often
develop monthly or quarterly cross-subject projects around these competencies.

• The South Fayette, PA school district has a long-time partnership with All-Clad, an American cookware
manufacturer, to provide authentic design challenges for students in high school math classes. For
example, teams of students draw on their math skills to suggest optimized packaging to reduce waste and
shipping costs, and recommend pan widths to create nesting systems for multiple pieces of cookware.

9 Thinking Differently About Math

 Technology enables success in teaching and learning math.

Using technology to facilitate learning is a feature of many leading systems. It is a way to enhance and
accelerate learning and also to mirror shifts in how professionals work and learn. This is especially true in math,
where digital tools have long been used to model and problem solve as part of the math curriculum.

Examples

• Singapore’s Ministry of Education hosts the Student Learning System (SLS), which is a learning platform
with approved curriculum aligned resources for students and teachers; an explicit intent is to provide
tools and space for student-initiated learning. They recently developed an AI-enabled adaptive learning
system for math that teachers can use to pretest students to help plan instruction and can also offer
additional or accelerated learning opportunities

• Estonia requires students to do programming and use digital tools in its basic school math curriculum to
understand data and patterns and to solve complex problems efficiently. It has also created technology-
focused modules for teachers to integrate into the math and other curriculum in different ways.

Estonia offers optional technology-focused

modules for middle and high schoolers which
include: artificial intelligence (AI), augmented
reality (AR), and big data for 7th to 9th
graders; software engineering, prototyping
and design, software analysis and testing for
10th and 11th graders; and one that gives 12th
graders the opportunity to be part of software
project development teams—taking on roles
like programmer, UI designer, or tester, as part
of required graduation projects.

10 Thinking Differently About Math

 Notes

Probing questions:

? What is different about how leading systems organize their math

curriculum and instruction? Is there more you want to learn about
this?

? Are there ways we can improve U.S. math curriculum and

instruction based on lessons from leading systems?

? If so, would these involve changes to the curriculum, to guidance, or

the development of new tools?

11 Thinking Differently About Math

 THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT

Personalization

Personalized learning is a major topic of discussion in the United States,

particularly in math. But it’s proven difficult to do at scale, with sustainability.
Flexibility in underlying policies may be a key, and there are notable policies
in place among global leaders that may offer fresh ideas about how to expand
personalized learning options for mathematics in the U.S. Thought-provoking
observations related to personalization include looking at how some systems
organize learning by stages, build flexible time into school schedules, and
individualize opportunities and pacing for acquiring credit.

Thought-provoking observations and interesting examples:

Learning is organized by multi-grade stages rather than

single grades.

Some countries structure their curriculum, including in mathematics, around

stages of school. Curriculum might define student outcomes at set capstone
grades such as Grades 3, 6 and 9, rather than for each individual grade. External
assessments often follow this pattern and measure achievement at each stage,
with teachers using formative assessments to monitor progress within stages.
Organizing across a span gives math teachers more time and flexibility to pace
learning in ways that better meet their students’ needs.

Examples

• Korea organizes its curriculum by stages: Grades 1–2; Grades 3–4; Grades
5–6 and Grades 7–9. Its curriculum framework describes how this gives
schools the flexibility to organize learning “by grade or grade cluster” and
says “grade clusters are employed to provide flexibility in organizing and
implementing the curriculum through interconnection and collaboration
between grade levels.” (Korea National Framework for Elementary and
Secondary Curriculum, p. 18 )

12 Thinking Differently About Math

 • In Estonia, content and learning outcomes in basic school (Grades 1–9) are organized around three key
stages: Grades 1–3; Grades 4–6 and Grades 7–9. Schools are required to offer a minimum number of
lessons in each subject weekly, but the requirements are for the full grade band, not an individual grade so
schools design learning progressions flexibly. There are monitoring tests given to samples of students at
the end of the first and second stages, and a graduation exam for students at the end of 9th grade..

• Denmark organizes its curriculum around the same three stages as Estonia. Its math curriculum identifies
attention points, which it defines as skills that are prerequisites for students to get sufficient benefit from
teaching at subsequent levels. They are not intended to cover the goals of learning in the subject as a
whole; instead they provide guidance to teachers as to when students are ready to advance to the next
stage.

• England organizes its curriculum into four key stages: Grades 1–2; Grades 3–6; Grades 7–9; and Grades
10–11. There are national assessments at the end of stages one or two. At the end of stage four, students
take subject-based assessments, including one in math. All other assessments are organized by teachers.

Sample of Danish Attention Points for Mathematics

End of 3rd grade:

The student can use three-digit numbers to

describe numbers and can sequence them

The student can add and subtract simple natural

numbers with mental arithmetic and a calculator

The student can measure length, time and weight

in simple everyday contexts

Denmark Primary School Math curriculum, page 40

Lean more about how education systems around the world

are rethinking assessment including how, when, and for
what purposes they test students in Reimagining Assessment
from NCEE’s Anticipating the Future series.

13 Thinking Differently About Math

 Flexible time is built into school and student schedules.

Flexibility is key to success in delivering on the promise of personalization in math. Some systems set
aside a percent of time in the school day that is not assigned for teaching classes. This gives math teachers
opportunities to respond to student needs for learning advancement or recovery, to add enrichment
opportunities for students to apply math skills, and to attend to individual student needs and interests to
support learning across subjects. Other systems build in breaks from traditional schooling at middle or upper
secondary levels for students, similar to the gap year some students in the United States take between high
school and post-secondary. This can allow time to explore interests or strengthen core skills preparation.

Examples

• In Hong Kong, upto 25 percent of time in primary schools can be used flexibly, amounting to a total of
about 450 hours over each three-year stage of schooling. Suggested uses include additional reading time;
expanded time on civics education; remedial or advancement activities; more time on any subject that
needs attention; or broadening of learning experiences through community services, outside of class
learning or enrichment.

• In Ireland, flexibility is built into the curriculum in different ways. Primary schools have discretionary
time during the day. This time allows schools and teachers to accommodate a variety of needs. Older
secondary students can choose to add a stand-alone transition year as a bridge between junior and senior
school cycles. This flexible year is optional in most schools, has no examinations, and is designed to give
students time to mature and prepare for the remainder of their secondary journey.

• Korean schools offer what is called a free semester in middle school. This is a semester with no exams or
required coursework; students are allowed to pursue independent studies or engage in projects designed
to allow them to explore interests and goals.

In one middle school in Korea, students in their

free semester designed their own cars using
advanced 3D designing software, tested how
the design affects the velocity of the car, and
printed them with 3D printers. The students
then raced their cars against each other to test
their product design.

14 Thinking Differently About Math

 Students have options for learning at their own pace.

When personalizing learning in math, it’s essential to develop options for students to learn at their own
pace. Some leading systems have policies that allow students to learn math independently, earning credit for
academic work, while meeting their individual learning needs and interests. Technology plays a key role in
scaling this adaptive approach.

Examples

• Finland offers students an option called grade-independent studies that allows students to learn and
earn credit at their own pace. An entire school can organize instruction this way or this can be a way for
students ready to advance or those who need extra help in math or other subjects or who are at risk of
dropping out. This system allows schools to organize instruction for multi-grade classes, a policy that
enables implementation as students move from one grade to the next on their own timelines. (National
Core Curriculum for Basic School, page 39)

• In Poland, the ministry’s national portal provides a comprehensive set of focused digital lessons on
core concepts in math at every grade level. These are available for students who need more support on
concepts or want to accelerate their learning. The lessons are based on Khan Academy, whose tutorials
Poland used for a number of years before creating their own national version.

Secondary math course taking varies by pathway.

In many systems, students choose a pathway in secondary school—

typically varying by area of study (technology, math, or health
professions) and an approach to learning (apprenticeship or a
school-based program). The math they take varies according to their
pathways. Students typically have a choice of career-related applied
and technical math, statistics-based math and more theoretical math
leading to calculus. These systems are explicitly designed to avoid dead
ends, and allow for students to change pathways or return to another
pathway without having to start from the beginning each time.

Examples

• In Ontario, Canada, students in high school have options that prepare them for the workplace, two-year
technical college, or university. Math courses in those pathways vary and include financial literacy, math
for data management, calculus and vectors, math for technology, and workplace math. The province
recently added an option of starting a full apprenticeship program while in high school and gaining an
apprenticeship certification and high school diploma in four years.

• Utah created three pathways in secondary math—Quantitative Reasoning, Statistics, and College Algebra
and Trigonometry—with optional extended topics for all three paths.

15 Thinking Differently About Math

 Notes

• In Switzerland, students choose between vocational or academic pathways at

about age 15. The vocational paths include a two-to-four-year apprenticeship
in high-value career areas leading to a certification that qualifies students
for work with an option to continue their studies in a technical university.
Students take math courses alongside their apprenticeship that relate to the
career area they chose. The academic path also has two options: a general
academic program that prepares students for university; or, a specialized
program for a range of professional areas including those in the arts, teaching,
or health professions. These programs include career-related math content.

• Oregon created a 10th grade integrated math course combining geometry

and statistics to better prepare students for different post-high school
pathways.

• In Singapore, after students complete 9th or 10th grade, they choose among
workplace preparation programs with embedded math; polytechnic programs
with applied math courses tailored to the career areas; and a pre-university
curriculum with pathways for business and social sciences, science and
engineering, or theoretical mathematics.

Probing questions:

? How do leading systems enable personalization in math? Is there more you

want to learn about how leading systems personalize learning in math?

? How might we create policies and practices that increase flexibility and
improve conditions for personalization in math? Do the global examples
suggest potential strategies?

? What are the policy and practice implications of implementing any of these
strategies in the United States?

16 Thinking Differently About Math

 THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT

Instructional
Time
In the United States, we often discuss finding more time for learning.
Finding time has become a particular priority as we address COVID
recovery and persistent achievement gaps that are highly pronounced
in math. Looking at how some successful systems organize time can
push us to consider the quality of the time we have, and not simply to
assume we need more. This has implications not just for teaching and
learning in mathematics, but also for optimizing limited resources.
Thought-provoking observations about instructional time include how
some systems vary time, such as the length of lessons in basic school
combined with frequent breaks, and the shortened length of courses in
upper secondary schools.

Thought-provoking observations and interesting examples:

Schools are required to spend limited time on math.

In many systems, the government sets policies around the allocation

of time to different subjects. In some leading systems, these policies
require students to spend limited minimum amounts of time in math
classes compared to typical U.S. schools. The fact that their students
perform at higher levels against international benchmarks raises
questions about how time spent in class is organized to be effective. It
also requires looking more deeply to see if instruction in math exceeds
policy minimums.

Global examples

• Estonia sets a total number of 45-minute math lessons per week

for a three-year grade span, allowing schools to decide how to
allocate those lessons among the grades each week. This converts
to an average time per day from about 30 minutes in Grades 1–3
to about 40 minutes in Grades 4–9.

17 Thinking Differently About Math

 • Korea sets requirements for time in math courses in two-year spans across Grades 1–6 and in a three-
year span for Grades 7–9. They use instructional hours that are equal to 40 minutes in elementary grades
and 45 minutes in middle grades. When converted to average time per day, average minimums for math
are 30–32 minutes.

• Hong Kong sets an annual minimum number of hours for three-year grade spans in math, with average
time per day in math ranging from 30–42 minutes across grades in elementary and secondary school.

Lesson periods are short and include frequent breaks.

There is a rhythm to class schedules in some systems that is unfamiliar to most schools in the United States,
particularly for younger students. Lesson periods in schools in these countries are short by U.S. standards,
often 40 or 45 minutes, with required breaks of 10–15 minutes (or more) after each lesson. Length of the
lesson and break is set in policy, with some flexibility built in to connect lessons. The required break time is
often unstructured, and students are free to rest or exercise. The goal is for them to be able to focus for the
next learning period.

Examples

• Lesson periods in Estonia for math and other subjects are 45 minutes with 10-15 minute breaks after
each for Grades 1–9.

• China has breaks of at least 10 minutes after 40 minutes of lessons for all subjects.

• Singapore added a brain break to the primary school day in addition to recess and lunch in 2016.

• Quebec instituted a second recess for all elementary students in 2019.

• Arkansas expanded required recess time for elementary schools to 40 minutes per day in 2019, and
rejected a bid to shorten it again in 2021.

Singapore has a “brain break” in the morning for

its primary school students.

One member of an NCEE benchmarking trip to

Shanghai recalled: “During a break, I remember
watching a boy in 3rd or 4th grade leave class
calmly, go outside, run at breakneck speed
around the perimeter of the school twice,
return to class and sit down to wait for the next
lesson.”
NCEE trip notes, Shanghai PingNan Primary School, 2014

18 Thinking Differently About Math

 Notes

Upper secondary courses are short, and systems

require a large number of total courses to graduate.

Like modularization of curriculum in elementary and middle grades, some

upper secondary systems have created short courses for students in
secondary. The short courses not only provide clear goals for students,
it allows them to build programs of study that meet their needs and
interests, allows them to change course when needed, and prepares
them for the style of learning in most postsecondary systems. They also
complete each course satisfactorily before moving on to the next.

Examples

• In Estonia, students in Grades 10–12 take an average of 32 short

courses per year and must complete a minimum of 96 courses to
graduate over three years. Each secondary course is 35 hours of
instructional time, which takes about 7 weeks to complete. The
courses are a mix of required and elective ones.

• Korea has shifted to a similar system in high school, where students

are required to take a mix of 82 compulsory and elective credits over
three years. Each credit is 16 hours of instruction and courses are
from two to four credits, or 32–64 hours each.

Probing questions:

? How do some leading systems use time differently for teaching and learning
in math? Is there more you want to learn about how these systems do this?

? Is it possible to think differently about time, teaching, and learning for math
in the United States? Is more time always the answer to improving math
performance? Can we better use the time we have?

? What are policy and finance implications of changing how available time is
used for math?

19 Thinking Differently About Math

 THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT

Support for
Teachers
Teaching is a challenging profession. Creating conditions that help
math teachers do their job with efficiency and effectiveness is critical
if teachers are to be successful. This is particularly relevant as we
address challenges in teacher recruitment and retention. In many
leading systems, teachers have optimized conditions that enable
success. Thought-provoking observations about teacher supports
include looking at how some systems ensure math teachers are
prepared for success when they enter the profession, provide high
quality instructional materials and resources, and build significant time
and opportunity for continuous professional learning into the flow of
teacher work life.

Thought-provoking observations and interesting examples:

Math teachers enter the profession well-prepared in

content and pedagogy.

Many leading systems have competitive entry into teacher preparation

and offer preparation curriculum that focuses on developing the content
and pedagogical knowledge needed to successfully teach the national
curriculum. In many, there are national standards for teacher preparation
programs to ensure consistency and quality across the system. In some
systems, elementary school teachers specialize or major in a subject area,
which means that there are elementary math specialists. Most of these
systems include induction and mentoring for new teachers to ensure they
have the support they need to be successful.

Examples

• University of Wyoming added more math content and pedagogical

knowledge to elementary school teacher preparation programs and
now has the most hours focused on math education among programs
that participated in a National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)
review of these programs.

20 Thinking Differently About Math

 • In Singapore, candidates for teacher preparation are required to have strong academic records and are
evaluated for personal attributes, including passion for teaching. Primary and secondary school math
teachers get a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Math/Computational Thinking and Education. All
teachers have a two-year induction with content-based mentoring once they are hired at a school.

• Korean teacher candidates take a rigorous initial licensing exam, primarily focused on the content
of the national curriculum. There is also a required writing assessment, an interview, and a lesson
demonstration. New teachers have reduced hours so they can participate in induction support and are
required to spend 180 hours in an individualized professional learning program after three years of
teaching to qualify for permanent certification.

• United States Department of Defense schools have focused on providing professional development on
math content to school principals as part of a broader effort to better equip them to be instructional
leaders across subjects.

Japan recently shifted to require upper

elementary teachers to be subject-certified.

Math teachers have high-quality instructional resources.

Ministries of education often provide teachers with instructional resources aligned to the content and
teaching guidance in the national curriculum. Math materials include texts, model lessons, and tools; these are
increasingly provided in digital formats.

Examples

• In Estonia, the basic school curricula describes developmental goals for students at each stage in school,
as well as specific outcomes expected by subject and stage of learning, different ways of organizing
learning in classrooms, and the students’ role in learning. It explains how each subject relates to others
and to cross-curricular competencies; the physical learning environment, tools, and equipment needed at
each stage of learning; and how to plan and organize study activities. The Ministry does not develop texts
and instructional materials, but works closely with a small set of private publishers and universities to
develop materials that are aligned to the detailed specifications in the national curriculum.

• Singapore provides syllabi for each subject area with chapters about how to approach pedagogy
and assessment. The primary math syllabus, for example, discusses themes (such as properties and
relationships; abstractions and applications) and big ideas (such as diagrams, equivalences, invariance) in
mathematics, phases of learning (readiness, engagement, and mastery), and teaching processes that run
across all subjects (lesson preparation, assessment and feedback, positive classroom culture). Assessment
criteria by content area and by stage are identified. The Ministry recommends aligned instructional
materials and develops digital resources for teachers.

21 Thinking Differently About Math

 Schools build significant professional learning and
collaboration time into teacher schedules.

Many of these systems have structures in place to allow teachers

to collaborate. Math teachers have time and opportunities to work
together to continue to improve their content and pedagogical
knowledge, rethink the design of learning across the school, and
refine lessons for students. Many also provide mentoring for new
teachers designed to support development of content knowledge
alongside classroom skills.

Examples

• In Singapore, schools have school-based mentoring by

experienced lead and master teachers, who also facilitate
professional learning and research groups focused on
deepening content knowledge and pedagogical practices.
Teachers in Singapore typically teach less than 20 hours per
week, so they have time for this kind of learning. (TALIS, 2018,
Table 1.2.30)

• Japanese teachers meet for lesson study where they have time
to collaboratively pilot and refine lessons and observe each
other teaching these lessons and providing feedback.

• Korean schools have experienced master teachers trained

in mentoring, who have open classrooms where they model
teaching, work with teachers on lesson planning, and develop
and adapt classroom materials. Master teachers—more than
one in five teachers—have reduced teaching load so that they
can work with other teachers. Teachers in Korea teach for less
than 20 hours a week on average so have time during the school
day to work with master teachers.

• As part of the 2020 Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation,

Maryland teachers will have about 40 percent of their working
time for planning, collaboration and job-embedded professional
learning.

22 Thinking Differently About Math

 Notes

Probing questions:

? How do global leaders enable success for math teachers? Is

there more you want to learn about how these systems support
teachers?

?
Are there any strategies highlighted here that might be useful to
adapt in the United States to better support math teachers?

? If so, what are the policy and practice implications of adapting

these strategies to the United States? What might be the impact
on teacher recruitment and retention?

23 Thinking Differently About Math

 THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT MATH

A Final Note
Discover is the first step in the NCEE approach. Design follows, with
action steps that might include selecting focus areas from what you
have discovered and making traction-ready plans for change. Deliver
is putting your plans in action, adjusting as needed to ensure success.

This paper is about discovery, an important step in the larger journey

of making improvements. It’s about:

Discover
• taking time to explore ideas without worrying about being in
decision mode,

• investigating how successful systems approach teaching and

learning math,

Design • making thought-provoking observations about policies and

practices you find interesting,

• asking interesting what if questions based on your observations,

Deliver • seeking examples across systems to see how they approach math
differently, and

• learning more about the broader policy and schooling context

that impacts how math is taught.

This learning journey approach offers a very practical way for U.S.
policy and practice experts to explore new ideas, reconsider their own
systems, and learn from colleagues across the globe and at home.

Let’s think
differently!
Together.

24 Thinking Differently About Math

 COUNTRY AND JURISDICTION

Resource List
Singapore Ireland
• Primary mathematics syllabi, 2021 • Primary mathematics curriculum, 2023

• Lower secondary mathematics syllabi, 2020 • Junior secondary mathematics curriculum, 2015
(will be revised in 2024 to consolidate pathways) (being reviewed currently)

Estonia Poland
• Basic school general curriculum (grades 1-9); • Core curriculum for pre-school and primary school
(grade prek-8) (In Polish)
• Basic school math subject appendix (in Estonian), 2023
• Core curriculum for secondary general and vocational
• Upper secondary general curriculum (grades 10-12); schools (In Polish)

• Upper secondary math subject appendix (in Estonian), 2023

South Korea
Finland • National Framework for Elementary and Secondary
Curriculum, 2022
• National core curriculum for basic education, 2014 (English
translation available for purchase) • National Mathematics Curriculum (in Korean), 2022

• National core curriculum for general upper secondary school,

2019 (English translation available for purchase) Ontario, Canada
• Elementary math curriculum (Grades K-8), 2020
Denmark
• Secondary math curriculum (Grades 9-12), (Grade 9
• Primary school mathematics curriculum course replaced in 2021; Grade 10, 11, 12 courses
(in Danish), 2022 revised in 2021/2)

Hong Kong British Columbia, Canada

• Mathematics education key learning area curriculum guide • Math curriculum (Grades K-12), 2016
(primary 1 to secondary 6), 2017

• Learning content of primary math Japan

• Learning content of junior secondary math • Full elementary curriculum (Japanese); general
provisions (English) 2017
• Learning content of senior secondary math
• Full junior high school curriculum (Japanese); general
• Explanatory Notes to Primary Mathematics Curriculum for provisions (English) 2017
Key Stage 1

• Explanatory Notes to Primary Mathematics Curriculum for England

Key Stage 2
• National Curriculum in England Key Stages 1 and 2
• Explanatory Notes to Junior Secondary Mathematics
Curriculum framework document, 2013

• Explanatory Notes to Senior Secondary Compulsory

Mathematics, Optional Module 1, Optional Module 2

25 Thinking Differently About Math

 Upcoming in this series
Thinking Differently About... Time

Thinking Differntly About... Strategic Staffing

More from NCEE

Anticipating the Future series

Global Models of Career Pathways

Top Performers Emerge from the Pandemic

Top Performers Reimagine the Teaching Profession

Reimagining Assessment

NCEE ncee.org [email protected] @CtrEdEcon

26 Thinking Differently About Math