What's new with elementary math in MCPS?
What’s changing, and how will we know how it’s going? Q&A with Emily Appel
A lot is about to change with math in MCPS. Maryland has a new math policy, including changes to state curricular standards and high school course pathways. Meanwhile, it was time for MCPS to revisit their math curricular materials, and they have newly adopted Amplify Desmos for K-8 math. The Board heard a lot from parents concerned about the end of compacted math (rising fifth graders who were in compacted math last year in fourth grade will continue, but rising fourth graders will not have an option for compacted math) — that ship has sailed.
This post is about what to expect from the new elementary math curriculum. MCPS is preparing to launch it next month by providing teachers with six hours of training before school starts, followed by (an unspecified amount of) support, coaching, and observations, as described in their table below (emphasis added).
Source: 11.1 ADOPTED Math Curriculum Approval Memorandum. https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DTVSR773E3A0/$file/11.01%20ADOPTED%20Math%20Curriculum%20Approval%20260430.pdf accessed 7/25/26.
I’m grateful that curriculum and instruction expert Emily Appel is here to help us understand what’s going on and what to look for as changes roll out starting next month. Emily is a parent to MCPS 4th and 6th graders and CEO of Made by Change, a social impact consulting firm.
Q: When you advise districts how to roll out a new curriculum, what training and support do you recommend?
A: In my work, I support districts and schools in adopting and rolling out curriculum. After adopting strong materials, districts typically spend time in the summer providing curriculum training for all teachers and leaders.
Trainings are ideally at least three days long, with the first day focused on the overall design of the curriculum, the pedagogical principles that informed its design, and key components. The second day focuses on specific components of the materials, identifying key features, and walking through how to use them. The third day builds on day two by diving deeper into grade-level-specific groups, where teachers have time to examine the first unit of the curriculum. Unit planning should also include a review of the assessment and lesson rehearsal, so that teachers can practice the key lesson routines in the first unit. Leaders also need this training! Ideally, they would be getting in alongside their teachers.
Following the initial rollout training, leaders should regularly observe teachers and instruction (weekly/biweekly) to monitor the implementation of the curriculum. This is crucial to any rollout. After the first 6 weeks, the district should be able to report on implementation. Following a focus on implementation fidelity, the district and its leaders should shift to focusing more intentionally on the quality of instruction. Coaching and feedback should focus on instructional effectiveness and student outcomes. Data during the next three 8-week cycles should focus on how student outcomes are improving. Conversations in teacher planning should center around lesson specifics and ways to support increasing student outcomes. Leaders should be shadowed by experts in Amplify to ensure that they are being supported in their coaching and development towards strong implementation.
Q: How could the new curriculum help teachers and students?
A: When I taught 4th-grade math, I didn’t have a great curriculum. I also had a class of students who were performing at varying levels. Every day, I had to plan lessons on grade level and then plan for all the levels my students were on. The new curriculum has built-in support for multiple levels in every single lesson. There are problems and instructions for students who are behind, on grade level, and above. As a teacher, this is huge! Not having to go find or build that content out for every lesson is a win. I am also excited about the materials for centers included at each grade level. This isn’t something teachers have had before, and again, they won’t have to go do the work to create them themselves.
As someone who knows instructional design, I see the value in creating this for teachers and aligning it with the daily lesson. This not only means that the teacher doesn’t have to do the work to create these materials. We also know that the materials are consistent and each teacher isn’t creating materials that might be inequitable. It isn’t just content on the computer; it’s actual paper-and-pencil problems that students can work through. This is invaluable.
Q: One of the most robust research findings about curriculum is that it doesn’t get implemented. What’s a best practice workflow for monitoring that implementation?
A: This is my favorite part of supporting districts that have adopted a new curriculum. The beginning of implementation should focus on ensuring that teachers use the curriculum with fidelity, meaning they use the materials as designed and do not skip or reorder them. The curriculum is designed by experts who ensure that the materials are at the right rigor, that the concepts, vocabulary, and routines spiral within and throughout the grades, and that the principles of cognitive learning science are at the basis of design. Implementing with fidelity means teachers uphold those design principles. Leadership should be regularly in classrooms, ensuring that teachers use the materials as designed, as closely as possible to the original design.
The first six weeks are critical. Every teacher needs to be observed regularly, at least four times in the first six weeks, to look for implementation fidelity. After six to eight weeks, leaders can start to look more closely at the effectiveness of instruction and ensure it is having the impact we want. Effectiveness data can be collected by building leaders and cross-functional specialists. The data should be reviewed regularly so that professional development and coaching can be planned to support teachers in achieving stronger implementation. At the district level, implementation data should be shared regularly so that system shifts can be planned and implemented, and resources can be redirected to strengthen impact.
Q: MCPS talks a lot about “cross-functional teams.” What they are and how could they help?
A: Cross-functional teams are groups of school-focused, subject-specific experts who work directly with schools to provide targeted support to improve/strengthen teaching and learning. In MCPS, these teams exist for each region.
Ideally, the math cross-functional specialist would work in partnership with Amplify (the curriculum vendor) to help leaders gain a deep understanding of the math curriculum, enabling them to support teachers in strengthening their instruction. The challenge is that teachers can only be required to meet with leadership for two hours a MONTH total – these two hours cover all subjects, not just math, and there is no extra added for a year with new curriculum. This is nowhere near enough time to support the rollout of a new curriculum. There should be weekly meetings focused on the math curriculum with additional time for unit preparation and lesson rehearsal.
Q: Many (organized!) MCPS parents want less instructional screen time for their kids. Does this new curriculum include it? Does it require it?
A: While Amplify Desmos does have some digital components, MCPS has purchased the paper-and-pencil version of this product. Teachers will have the option to use digital components for some parts of instruction; it shouldn’t be a regular component. In K-5, approximately 10% to 20% of lessons feature digital or interactive screen activities, while 80% to 90% are designed to be print-based or hands-on.
Q: MCPS also plans to implement “cluster grouping” for math. What should that look like?
A: Cluster grouping is an instructional approach in which students with similar academic needs, whether below grade level, on grade level, or above grade level, are intentionally placed together in heterogeneous classrooms. The goal is not to track students but to make it easier for teachers to provide instruction that matches students’ current learning needs. Think of cluster grouping as giving teachers the ability to meet students where they are without separating children into entirely different classrooms. Instead of having one or two advanced learners spread across every class, or one or two students needing significant intervention in every class, students with similar learning needs are grouped together so teachers can more effectively tailor instruction.
Students should move between groups and even between classrooms as their academic needs change. Sometimes students may need more support in a particular area of math instruction, so they might be a better fit for a different cluster. Sometimes they may be really strong in a particular area, so they would move clusters again. These are meant to be flexible groups that students can shift in and out of, not on a daily basis, but more unit to unit.
In the 2026-27 school year, only the 4th grade will participate in math cluster grouping. In the following school year, additional grades will adopt the cluster grouping approach. All grade levels K-8 will be using Amplify Desmos next school year.
Q: How can families know if kids are struggling with math, and if so, what should they do? What help can they expect from MCPS?
A: Right now, there is no real-time way for families to know if their student is struggling in math. Grades, unit tests, and MCAP (state) and MAP standardized test scores are all information that parents have access to, but some come very delayed. MCAP scores have come months after it has been administered; next year Maryland is switching to a new state test, the MSTAR, and those results will be available to parents in late June. MCPS does provide twice-yearly letters to notify families about a student being below grade level based on MAP scores, but twice a year isn’t timely enough for parents to take action. The notices are designed to provide families with an early warning about their child. There are no additional supports or services that are provided with the notice letter. I’d recommend families who receive these letters reach out to their child’s teacher and schedule a conference to discuss a plan to bring their student back up to grade level.
IXL Math is an adaptive learning platform that provides immediate feedback on a student’s math skills. The diagnostic assessment and subsequent lessons help provide families a clearer look at where a student is and what areas they might need additional practice. This is an entirely supplemental program that families can access outside of school via the MCPS subscription. This can be used in addition to all the regular data that families get about their child.
Q: Five years from now, it will be time to request math curriculum proposals again. How should MCPS judge how well they did with Amplify Desmos?
A: Our current MCAP proficiency rates for 3rd-5th grade are just barely at 50%, with Grade 3 at 50.4% proficiency, Grade 4 at 43.1%, and Grade 5 at 40.8% (scores from the 2024-2025 SY). Honestly, if we haven’t improved proficiency to above 65% in all grades 3 and above within 5 years, we all need to be deeply alarmed. We are armed with an incredibly strong curriculum that is well-positioned to improve outcomes for all students. There is no reason that this shouldn’t happen. There are many ways it might not, and that would fall to leadership at the district and school levels.
Adopting new curriculum can have a learning curve, so while there may be some stagnation in the first year, we should expect to see around 5% growth in each grade level each year. This is typical for curricular materials and is around what other districts have seen when implementing Amplify Desmos.
Q: Is there a built-in process for Maryland to assess how the new standards are working out?
A: I assume MSDE plans to use the new MSTAR assessment to measure this. At the state level, this is the right place for them to evaluate the effectiveness of the new standards. At the MCPS level, we should be able to use other assessments like MAP and Desmos benchmark assessments to determine how students are doing with the new standards.
Pop quiz
What information should the Board of Education ask MCPS to report about the new curriculum?
a. What does regular professional development look like for teachers and leaders? How often are teachers meeting with a math specialist specifically focused on Amplify Desmos? How often are leaders discussing math in their leadership meetings?
b. In October of 2026, how many classroom observations will have happened? What percentage of those observations showed implementation with fidelity? What percentage of 3rd through 5th grade teachers have been observed? What % of classrooms showed strong implementation, i.e. were on pace with the pacing guide, were observed using all parts of lesson materials, were observed asking questions from the lesson materials?
c. In December of 2026, how has the percentage of classroom teachers implementing with fidelity improved?
d. By the mid-year assessment administered in early January and reported by the end of January, what percentage of students are demonstrating growth from the beginning-of-year assessment on the mid-year assessment?
e. By the end of the SY, what percentage of students demonstrated growth from the mid-year assessment to the end-of-year assessment and met proficiency on MCAP?
f. All of the above
Answer key
f. All of the above. The plan MCPS presented this spring is a high-level summary of what should happen: things like “continued coaching and professional learning” and “classroom visits.” If the Board were to ask MCPS staff if those things are actually happening, it seems likely the answer would be yes. But how intensive, and how effective, is the coaching and learning? What information is being gathered from how many classroom visits – and what is MCPS doing with that information? The Board should hold MCPS accountable to the public by asking specific questions.
Extra credit
Ariel Kalil and Derek Rury argue in the NY Times that It’s Becoming Impossible to Know How Your Kid Is Doing in School. You need a subscription for the op-ed but I’ll give you the punchline for free:
“When grades and [standardized] test scores diverge, that gap is information: perhaps the most important information you will receive about your children’s education that year.”
Curious about what your child is supposed to be learning in math – and other subjects – each quarter? Check out the MCPS refrigerator curriculum (to be updated for 2026-2027).
Exit ticket
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