Oakland Unified Takes Big Steps to Transform Elementary Math Instruction

The Oakland Unified Schools’ districtwide adoption of Eureka Math^2® was a big step forward for the school system, whose schools have historically made individual decisions about curricula rather than taking a unified approach. STEM coordinator Edgar Rodriguez-Ramirez said that creating cohesive, rigorous instruction across the 45,000-student district has been a game changer. 

The district adopted Eureka Math² in the 2022–2023 school year. This year, 2024–2025, the district has really come together in using the curriculum in very aligned and intentional ways. For example, Rodriguez-Ramirez said, there is a real focus now on using the assessment tools embedded in the curriculum to monitor student progress and improve student outcomes. “This is the first year we’re doubling down and asking everyone to administer module assessments,” he said.   

He noted that assessment data for this year is now showing promising signs, and educators and administrators are observing exciting shifts in how students reason, explain their thinking, and justify their thinking.   

“For example, ‘I’m multiplying four times three tenths’ wasn’t something I was hearing from fourth graders prior to Eureka Math²,” he said.  

What’s also being heard that’s new is younger students explaining the math they’re doing and the strategies they’re using. For example, when kindergartners in Oakland schools were asked how they know there are five objects in front of them, they are now naming the strategies they are using, such as the cross-out method or touch and count. “That looks different. There is language, and they have an awareness of the strategies they’re using when manipulating numbers,” Rodriguez-Ramirez said, explaining that this shows students have a deeper understanding of math concepts.  

Roughly a third of Oakland Unified students are multilingual learners, and STEM coordinator Rodolfo Ornelas said that the supports in the curriculum for this student population are very helpful. 

Rodriguez-Ramirez agreed and added that teachers like the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) callout boxes in the teacher edition of the Eureka Math² curriculum. These help educators meet and differentiate the needs of students working at different levels and facing individual challenges. The curriculum recently was awarded the CAST Universal Design (UDL) for Learning Product Certification. To earn this prestigious award, curriculum developers must demonstrate how an instructional resource provides multiple ways for students to engage with the learning experience, access the learning materials, and demonstrate what they know and can do.    

STEM coordinator Dante Ruiz said those built-in tools for teachers are helpful to educators in Oakland because they are doing the challenging but important work of shifting their instructional practices and learning how to implement the curriculum, which emphasizes deep conceptual understanding and the importance of mastering numeracy and computational skills.  

Ruiz noted that parents and guardians are learning alongside Oakland teachers and students, accessing the family resources in the curriculum, including math letters explaining concepts and practice problems that students work on at home.  

In addition, Rodriguez-Ramirez said that the district has included the curriculum’s Math Past resources in community newsletters. These resources help students see how mathematics has been used over time in various ways around the world.  

Like all Great Minds curricula, Eureka Math² includes embedded fine art across grades. For example, students study Paul Klee’s painting Castle and Sun and use geometric principles to discuss the shapes he used in the artwork. 

Some art teachers in Oakland schools also are tapping into the art in the math curriculum and creating learning experiences for their students, demonstrating the power of coherent interdisciplinary study.  

Ashley Slater has been teaching art at Oakland’s Garfield Elementary school for the past six years and loves incorporating the fine art from Eureka Math² into her art lessons. During a recent conversation, she proudly showed off art her students made in the style of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, whose work appears in the math curriculum to support geometric thinking.  

Studying art across subjects builds confidence and understanding, Slater added. “It reinforces concepts and vocabulary and gives students a broader toolbox for problem-solving and new ways of looking at things.”  

A Garfield elementary student used shapes and knowledge of geometry to create a cityscape collage.

This fractional art was created by a student at Garfield Elementary.

You can learn more about Oakland Unified Schools at https://www.ousd.org/.