The Illinois State Board of Education adopted its first statewide numeracy plan to improve math instruction.
The nearly 200-page document doesn't require school districts to use any new curriculum.
Dr. Ronda Dawson, the Illinois State Board of Education's executive director of teaching and learning and a former math teacher, said the goal is to outline best practices for teaching math.
"It could be conversations, it could be projects, looking at the way that they present scenarios for students to problem-solve, where there's more inquiry, there's more discussion," she said.
The plan encourages teachers to praise strategy and reasoning, not just correctness or speed. It also emphasizes applying math concepts in real-world contexts.
Dawson said many Illinois school districts are already providing strong math instruction.
"What the plan is encouraging our school districts to do is to refine their practices, kind of take a look at your curriculum, take a look at what is happening in your classrooms," she said. "What is professional learning looking like, and then what is it producing?"
She said success would be districts using the guidance to develop local plans and, ultimately, seeing continuous improvement in math achievement on classroom assignments and state assessments.
The plan uses the term "numeracy" instead of "math" because numeracy refers to the ability to apply math and reasoning skills in everyday life, such as planning a trip or baking a cake.
Math scores in Illinois and nationwide have not recovered as quickly as literacy scores since the pandemic. The plan has been in development for several years and included listening tours across the state.
It comes right after Illinois' statewide literacy plan, which was adopted in 2024.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
