Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
New math curricula coming to New York City schools
By
Jessica Gould
Published Jun 24, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Getty Images
By
Jessica Gould
Published Jun 24, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Many New York City students will soon be taught math using a new curriculum, Mayor Eric Adams said Monday, announcing an effort to improve stubbornly low proficiency rates.
The effort to create a more coherent math curriculum will be phased in system-wide, starting with 420 high schools this fall that will be required to teach from a single curriculum, Illustrative Mathematics, while 93 middle schools will choose from several options. Officials are promising extra coaching to help teachers improve their instruction. Last year, only half of students in grades 3 through 8 were proficient in math.
Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks said the new coursework will replace a loose patchwork of curricula now in place across the public school system and provide students with a better understanding of the fundamentals and how mathematics apply to daily life.
“[Students] need a clear grasp of how math operates beyond the classroom, in the supermarket and the bank, and in careers ranging from engineering, computer science, business to health care,” Banks said at a press conference with the mayor in the Bronx.
The math overhaul, which will eventually extend to all grades, builds on a similar effort to reform how reading is taught in elementary school. That effort has won praise from education experts who commend the city for aligning instruction to the research on how kids actually learn to read, but the results are not yet clear.
Half of the city’s elementary schools rolled out new curricula this past year, and the other half are set to adopt it in September. Periodic assessments haven’t shown much progress yet, and some parents have criticized new curricula as rigid and boring.
The city has already rolled out the new curriculum, Illustrative Math for Algebra 1, at hundreds of schools. That move has gotten mixed reviews from educators.
With the new effort, dubbed “NYC Solves,” the city joins school districts across the country that have been grappling with how to improve math scores, particularly after a precipitous decline during the pandemic.
The teacher group Educators for Excellence-New York recently circulated a petition calling on the city to match its investment in reading with an equal emphasis on math, and praised the new initiative.
“NYC Solves is another huge and much-needed step forward in helping our students achieve better outcomes in math,” said Marielys Divanne, executive director of E4E-New York.
Tagged
new york city
education
Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Gatorade recall affects drinks sold in New York and New Jersey
More than 122,000 cases are being recalled over undeclared food dyes.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 5, 2026
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
News
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYPD detective forced to retire after false statements in Brooklyn investigation
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani faces pressure to forge ahead with plan to fix polluting South Bronx market
By
Elizabeth Kim
Dominican man who shot border patrol officer in NYC sentenced to 15 years in prison
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .