2022–2023 District Profile
- 26 elementary schools
- 24,796 students
- 58.4% White
- 17.9% Hispanic
- 16.7% Black
The changes in Eureka Math2 excited teachers: “Whenever teachers started hearing about Eureka Math2, it was like ‘oh, these are actually the things we wanted improved,’ so they were very receptive. There was no pushback because they loved it so much more. Not that they didn’t like the other, but Eureka Math2 had exactly what they wanted changed for the most part about the lessons or the student materials,” shares Brent Hall, Winter Park Elementary School principal. Adds Christianne May, Castle Hayne Elementary School principal, “The readability of the lessons is way different. It’s much more friendly for teachers. The materials for students are much more engaging. Some of it is now in color—you add color and that changes everything.”
For the district, adopting a new curriculum signaled a districtwide set of commitments to educators and students. Dr. Foust shares, “When we chose a curriculum, we weren’t just introducing a set of lessons, we were embracing a philosophy of high expectations for students and teachers, critical thinking, and cultivating a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. We know that our educators deliver high-quality instruction and inspire a love for math, and with the right tools they can unlock the potential for every learner. Implementing Eureka Math2 with fidelity has become a powerful tool for them to reach that goal.”
Adoption of Districtwide Curriculum Strengthened by Robust Professional Learning
Math Curriculum Adoption Paves Way For English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum Adoption
While in their first year with a new math curriculum, the district also adopted a new ELA curriculum for implementation in school year 2023–2024. DeWalt shares, “math adoption set us up for having standardized curriculum in the district, but also set up this domino effect.”
The district decided to adopt Wit & Wisdom® and, already in year one, notices the similarities between programs and the efficiencies gained when implementing curricula with the same underlying practices and philosophies.
Redd notes, “It’s crazy to hear kids say, ‘Well, that’s just like in reading with notice and wonder.’ They are making the connections between the two. And the teachers are, too. Even something as simple as notice and wonder. That is now part of routines used in faculty meetings when looking at data.”
Adds Hall, “It’s been great that, again, the language components and the lesson components are the same between Eureka Math2 and Wit & Wisdom. Having that has been huge.”
The district began by setting the expectation that all schools would implement Eureka Math2 in grades K–5. Dr. Lo DeWalt, director of curriculum and instruction, credits Ryan Redd, K–5 math specialist, with reinforcing a consistent implementation message: “This is what our philosophy is about math, this is our belief about what kids can and should be able to do as mathematicians, and this is how we talk about math in our district.”
With expectations established, district leadership was prepared to significantly invest in Eureka Math2 professional learning at all levels, including for school building leaders, which was an improvement over their initial rollout of Eureka Math. Redd shares the value of having principals and coaches attend professional learning, saying, “Every school principal and their instructional coach are hearing the same thing together, learning the same things from the leadership perspective. They’re thinking through ‘this is what you are going to need to help set your teachers up for success in the next year.’” To kick off implementation for teachers, the district was able to provide stipends for all teachers to come in over the summer to receive the Teach professional learning offering so they’d feel prepared for the start of the school year.
In addition to districtwide professional development, the district also invested in coaching. For their first year of implementation, six elementary schools participated in a coaching cohort. Principal May shares how important having the coaching support was for teachers in her school: “Prior to every module, one person from every level came together and the Great Minds® coach walked them through the module overview, what they are teaching in this module, and offered a deep dive into the module. Those grade-level teachers then became the experts in the building who then led their grade level through the module. It built capacity. It gave teachers an opportunity to be a leader and to be the expert on their grade-level team.” May further highlights how having the Great Minds coach participate in professional learning communities (PLCs) was critical for teachers as well: “They needed someone to understand, relate, and break down how it should be taught. And how to make sense of the manual. This is not a script. This is teaching you how to teach math. This is a huge paradigm shift for teachers.”
The district’s robust investment in professional learning is changing math instruction in classrooms. May sees how Eureka Math2 has helped teachers think differently about supporting students. “The difference for teachers with Eureka Math2 is they have a better understanding of how to teach kids to think about math. That’s what they’ve learned with the manual. They’re not just teaching a concept or skill. They’re teaching the thinking that helps students attack a concept or skill,” says May.
Reflecting on the first year of implementation and professional learning, DeWalt shares the importance of finding the right partner for the work. “It takes a bit of time to build that trust and build that first-hand knowledge. Having that consistency that Great Minds didn’t send different trainers every time, we were able to build on that partnership. I think that makes a lot of difference. The Great Minds coach and Ryan [Redd] spent a lot of time outside of those coaching days planning and putting in the work on the back end.”
Educators Begin to See Changes in Students’ Math Knowledge and Achievement
As the first year of Eureka Math2 implementation progressed, Redd says that she saw the productive struggle for teachers around the “why” of the curriculum. Now in year two, she shares that teachers are seeing the why more clearly as students build their math knowledge year over year with Eureka Math2. When asked how students are engaging with math differently now, Redd notes, “It seems natural with these kids. I really see the mathematical practices in the kids. Before, it felt like the practices were things we were doing to kids or were on the wall. But now I see kids, especially in grades K–2, really reasoning without being prompted.”
Principal Hall also notes that educators are seeing the impact of instructional changes in their students. He says, “The biggest shift has been the overall level of student understanding. In second grade, teachers have to teach so many of the strategies, not just doing the algorithm, and that can be somewhat frustrating. However, if it means that the kids are understanding it more so that when they get to fourth grade, they’re using those same strategies but now they’re looking at more complex numbers than they looked at in second grade, I think that teachers are seeing that that is pretty impactful.”
Hall further shares that teachers are excited about the cumulative impact of the curriculum for students in the coming years. “Our fifth grade teachers talk all the time about how when our current second graders get to fifth grade they will have had even more years of Eureka Math2. Even after one year, a number of teachers have said something to me about students knowing the language and using some of the same terminology from one year to the next and the huge difference that can make.”
State test results from the 2022–2023 school year also reflect the changes that district and school leaders are seeing in teacher practice and student knowledge. The charts below highlight students’ achievement districtwide on the state math test as well as school-level achievement for Principal Hall’s and Principal May’s schools.
New Hanover County Schools (Districtwide)
Percentage of all students scoring level 3 or above on state math test
Winter Park Elementary School
Percentage of all students scoring level 3 or above on state math test
Castle Hayne Elementary School
Percentage of all students scoring level 3 or above on state math test
Summarizing the district’s test scores for school year 2022–2023, DeWalt says, “Research says you get your output after three years, and we did have growth in our accountability measures, which for us is EOGs [end-of-grade tests] for lots of schools.”
Educators Share Advice for Others Looking to Implement Eureka Math2
When asked to share their advice for other districts and educators looking to implement Eureka Math2, a consistent message emerged from New Hanover leaders: Fully commit to the curriculum at all levels, and trust the process.
From her district perspective, Redd shares, “You have to jump in with both feet. That’s the thing I learned from piloting versus full implementation: You can’t do it halfway to have it done well. There’s not a bit of the curriculum that isn’t written to be thoughtful, intentional, and coherent. From one component to the next, from one module to the next, and from one grade level to the next, you just have to do it. You just have to trust it.”
May echoes Redd’s sentiment, suggesting that school leaders also must commit to implementation. She says, “Best advice is to dive in with teachers. It’s easy to hand over curriculum without understanding from a teacher’s perspective how that is and how that feels. As with anything, if administrators can do it with teachers, that’s critically important.”
In reflecting on his school’s implementation journey thus far, Hall shares the advice to
“trust the process, and more importantly, trust the curriculum."
Jenny Taylor
Jenny has over a decade of experience in education policy and research. She has worked with states and districts on the development and implementation of college and career readiness policies, especially around the implementation of rigorous standards and high-quality instructional materials. She has extensive knowledge about K–12 standards, graduation requirements, assessments, and accountability systems nationwide. Additionally, she has conducted research for school districts to address pressing needs in those districts. Jenny received her B.A. in English and education from Bucknell University and her M.Ed. in education policy from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
Topics: Data Stories Eureka Math Squared
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