State Teacher Policy Database Homepage › Mississippi › Policy Priority: Elementary Math

Professional Learning

Learn more about how Mississippi is performing on High-Quality Instructional Materials in the math policy area.
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Mississippi’s Performance

Moderate
NCTQ evaluates whether states effectively use this policy lever by examining whether they provide financial support for math-focused professional learning, including curriculum-based professional learning, and whether the state allocates funds to support math coaches or specialists. Learn more

Why does this matter?

When teachers have the knowledge and skills to teach math effectively, they can make a significant impact on student learning. Yet today, thousands of teachers are in classrooms without adequate preparation in rigorous math instruction. States can help close this gap by funding high-quality curriculum-based professional learning and ongoing coaching that builds teachers’ expertise and confidence.

Why does Mississippi stand out?

While it began with a focus on reading, Mississippi has since expanded the strategy to mathematics. By deliberately training a cadre of coaches who were then deployed to schools, the state ensured consistency in both training and support, creating a cohesive system across all schools. This structured coaching model ensures statewide alignment, making it a stronger alternative to less-coordinated coaching models other states may currently use. It’s a model worth considering for any state choosing to invest in coaching, as a coordinated, statewide approach offers far more consistency and impact than leaving districts to design their own models independently.

What are the key actions Mississippi should take?

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    See what these exemplars are doing in this policy area:

    Alabama
    Arkansas

    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. Taylor, J. A., Getty, S. R., Kowalski, S. M., Wilson, C. D., Carlson, J., & Van Scotter, P. (2015). An efficacy trial of research-based curriculum materials with curriculum-based professional development. American Educational Research Journal, 52(5), 984-1017.

       

    2. Fryer, J., Roland G. (2017). The production of human capital in developed countries: Evidence from 196 randomized field experiments. In Handbook of Economic Field Experiments (Vol. 2, pp. 95-322). North-Holland. Yoon, K. S., Duncan, T., Lee, S. W. Y., Scarloss, B., & Shapley, K. L. (2007). Reviewing the Evidence on How Teacher Professional Development Affects Student Achievement. Issues & Answers. REL 2007-No. 033. Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest (NJ1). Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4) 547- 588.

       

    3. Kraft, M. A., & Blazar, D. (2018). Taking teacher coaching to scale: Can personalized training become standard practice?. Education Next, 18(4).