By the Illustrative Mathematics team
The gains in math achievement experienced by District 11 in New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) are not the result of a sudden shift or a one-year initiative. They reflect years of deliberate, system-level work focused on instructional coherence, high-quality materials, and sustained support for teachers.
At a moment when large school systems face pressure to chase quick fixes, District 11 offers a clear example of what becomes possible when districts develop a smart strategy and stay the course.
Years before NYCPS launched the ambitious NYC Solves initiative in 2024, District 11 made a clear and early commitment to high-quality instructional materials and strong implementation. In 2022, District 11 leaders adopted IM Math, a classroom-centered, problem-based curriculum, and paired it with high-quality professional learning through Teaching Lab, a certified partner of Illustrative Mathematics.
Together, these choices reflected a clear instructional vision: support teachers in engaging students in meaningful mathematical reasoning, not just covering content. That early investment laid the groundwork for the progress the district is seeing today.
Sustained, Systemwide Growth from 2022 to 2025
In 2022, District 11’s math proficiency rates reflected challenges faced by many urban districts. By 2025, student outcomes in the district had improved dramatically across grades and student groups.
For grades three through eight, the percentage of students scoring proficient (Levels 3 and 4 on the New York State Math Test) increased from 25.8% to 50.6%, a 24.8-point gain, nearly doubling the share of students scoring proficient over four school years.
That growth extended to students who have historically been least well served by the system.
- Students with disabilities increased from 8.2% to 24% proficient, a 15.8-point gain.
- English language learners increased from 8.9% to 26% proficient, a 17.1-point gain.
The improvement was consistent across grade levels, reflecting a coherent experience for students as they moved through the system.
- Grade three increased from 33.8% to 58.7% proficient (+24.9 points).
- Grade four increased from 28.4% to 55.4% (+27 points).
- Grade five increased from 23.2% to 50.2% (+27 points).
- Grade six increased from 23.5% to 40.3% (+16.8 points).
- Grade seven increased from 26.8% to 51.8% (+25 points).
- Grade eight increased from 16.0% to 47.1% (+31.1 points).
What stands out is not just the size of the gains, but their consistency. Elementary and middle school students are now reaching similar levels of proficiency, signaling alignment across classrooms, grades, and schools.
Why the Approach Worked
District 11’s experience reinforces a critical lesson: High-quality instructional materials matter, but they do not work in isolation.
IM Math’s problem-based design gives students regular opportunities to reason, discuss, and make sense of mathematics. Lessons are intentionally designed with a low floor and a high ceiling, creating access while maintaining rigor. Students are asked to try problems, share ideas, and build understanding together, supporting both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency.
But curriculum alone does not change classrooms. What made the difference in District 11 was pairing high-quality materials with strong, sustained implementation. Teachers were supported over time to integrate shared instructional routines, deepen their practice, and engage students in meaningful mathematical conversations. That kind of support respects teaching as complex intellectual work and gives educators the conditions they need to succeed.
As instruction became more consistent and coherent across grades and schools, students had repeated opportunities to experience success with challenging mathematics. Over time, that work translated into stronger outcomes and growing confidence in math.
Why This Matters for NYCPS
District 11’s success offers an important lesson for the system as a whole. The progress seen here did not come from short-term interventions or fragmented efforts. It came from sustained commitment to high-quality instructional materials, strong implementation support, and systemwide alignment.
NYC Solves is designed to bring these same conditions to scale across NYCPS. Maintaining and strengthening the initiative is essential to continuing the momentum District 11 has built and extending those opportunities to students across the city. When districts invest in high-quality instructional materials and back them with strong implementation support, students benefit.
District 11 demonstrates what is possible when that work is done well and over time. NYC Solves has the potential to make this kind of math success not the exception, but the expectation for all learners across NYCPS.
Next Steps
To learn more about the instructional vision behind this work—and the partners who support it—we invite you to explore Illustrative Mathematics, our certified partners, and our shared commitment to high-quality, coherent math instruction that supports teachers and students over time: illustrativemathematics.org.
