A room full of teachers clusters in small groups over half sheets of colored paper, pointing and reaching, talking and gesticulating as they analyze data and sketch lines on maps, striving to ensure that a representative democracy’s election outcomes match that of the popular vote. The task, though fictional, invites participants to make sense of the true complexities of election design and outcomes, the impacts of gerrymandering and to reflect on the meaning of the notion, “fair.”
Is this the purview of mathematics? Indeed, yes. Data is being gathered and analyzed and synthesized and spun in all areas of our lives — from our shopping habits to our social media use to our voting records and beyond. Understanding the mathematics and algorithms that inform our choices — or lack thereof — is a critical avenue of exploration if we are to teach math, as indicated by the 2023 California State Math Framework, for social justice.
The math problem solving experience described above took place at a recent meeting of the Santa Cruz County Math Initiative, a partnership with ten districts and several charter schools collaborating to deepen leaders’ and educators’ understanding of the question, “In what ways can we boost math achievement for all learners?” Across three years, the County’s work with PEBC includes quarterly leadership gatherings, professional development on effective math instruction and school-based coaching, all focused on building systems of support for math educators that translate into results for students.
The 2023 California State Math Framework, specifically chapter two, is a central document organizing our exploration of pedagogy. At our most recent gathering, we highlighted not only social justice but also the importance of discourse in elevating the fourth and fifth components of the Framework: invite student questions and conjectures; prioritize reasoning and justification. These essential methods are best served in a context rich with student talk. For this reason, the participants described above experienced a math workshop as learners first hand to feel the motivational power of meaningful tasks and learning-focussed conversations, then studied the essential elements of designing and facilitating effective student math discourse.
Our afternoon included time for leaders from across the county to collaborate in a consultancy protocol exploring their own dilemmas with elevating math instruction. The final segment of our day was devoted to action planning. Some districts are keen to look at vertical systems to promote student discourse; others are planning walk throughs aligned with the state Framework’s components; one district is conducting lab visits to calibrate practices while others are seeking to explore how leveraging their curricular resources in the context of math workshops efficiently supports teachers in addressing all five of the state Framework’s components in most lessons. This autonomy within a system of support is integral to the design of the county’s Math Initiative, and we are already seeing results as teacher efficacy translates into gains in student achievement. Of the fourteen districts and charters participating in the Math Initiative, ten reported growth in the number of students at or above grade level as measured by the end-of-year state assessments from 2024 to 2025. Leaders at Alianza Charter, Santa Cruz City Schools, San Lorenzo Valley Schools, Live Oak School District, and Soquel School District attributed that growth to their increased focus on math through this initiative. Participating Ceiba Charter demonstrated their highest 11th grade state test performance in their history. Between 2024 – 25, Happy Valley’s sixth graders saw 12% growth in math, and the school received an award from the state; their superintendent Michelle Stewart cites work with PEBC playing a key role in strengthening mathematics instructional practice.
PEBC is grateful for our partnership with Santa Cruz County as an opportunity to share and refine our expertise in math pedagogy, leadership development and adult learning in service of math gains for students.
