State Teacher Policy Database Homepage › National Overview

Elementary Math

Strong state policy is essential to ensuring every elementary teacher is equipped and supported to deliver rigorous, effective math instruction.

Data updated: June 2025

Go to a policy priority Elementary Math Elementary Reading Strategic Staffing Teacher Compensation Teacher Diversity Teacher Evaluation
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Why focus on Elementary Math?

Strong early math skills lay the foundation for success across all subjects. Early math skills are a powerful predictor of students’ long-term achievement in reading, math, and science, as well as their likelihood of being retained between kindergarten and eighth grade.1Beyond academics, strong math skills open doors to higher earnings, expanded college opportunities, and access to the fastest-growing careers. With STEM fields growing three times faster than non-STEM fields,2 math proficiency is more essential than ever for students’ future success.

How well is each state doing in Elementary Math?

In 2025, NCTQ conducted a comprehensive scan of state math policies. Only one state, Alabama, is rated Strong in NCTQ’s most recent analysis. Learn how we rate states.

Select a specific state to learn more
ALAL AKAK AZAZ ARAR CACA COCO CTCT DEDE FLFL GAGA HIHI IDID ILIL ININ IAIA KSKS KYKY LALA MEME MAMA MIMI MNMN MSMS MOMO MTMT NENE NVNV NHNH NJNJ NMNM NYNY NCNC NDND OHOH OKOK OROR PAPA RIRI SCSC SDSD TNTN TXTX UTUT VTVT VA WAWA WVWV WIWI WYWY
Strong
Moderate
Weak
Unacceptable
Ungraded
Teacher Preparation Standards
Preparation Program Approval
Licensure Tests
High-Quality Instructional Materials
Professional Learning

Key Resources

State of the States: Five Policy Levers to Improve Math Instruction

Explore which states are implementing policies to improve math instruction

Explore resource

Teacher Prep Review: Solving for Math Success

Read more about the performance of over 1,100 elementary teacher preparation programs in preparing educators to teach math.

Explore resource

Professional development that delivers: discovering the keys to better math and science outcomes

Discover which features of math and science professional development are most strongly linked to student achievement

Explore resource

In the eye of the beholder: What happens when teachers think the curriculum is too tough for students

Learn how teachers' perceptions of curriculum difficulty - and the support they receive - can determine whether students get grade-level instruction.

Explore resource
References
  1. Claessens, A., & Engel, M. (2013). How important is where you start? Early mathematics knowledge and later school success. Teachers College Record, 115(6), 1–29; Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., … & Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428.
  2. Employment in STEM occupations. (2024, August 24). Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/stem-employment.htm