By: the Illustrative Mathematics team
When schools pair a high-quality curriculum with the right digital tools and strong implementation, the results can be powerful. A recent case study from Kiddom, one of our IM® Certified curriculum distribution partners, highlights exactly that story. At Windsor Charter Academy Middle School in Windsor, Colorado, students made remarkable gains in math achievement after adopting IM® Math v.360 through Kiddom.
A Clear Boost in Student Achievement
Windsor Charter Academy Middle School serves approximately 383 students in a large suburban community. After implementing IM v.360 in January 2025, students in grades 6–8 significantly outperformed the state of Colorado on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) math assessment by the end of the 2024–2025 school year.
On average, Windsor Charter Academy exceeded state math proficiency rates by 29.2 percentage points across grades 6–8:
- Grade 6: 31.4% → 49.2% (+17.8 percentage points)
- Grade 7: 31.8% → 64.6% (+32.8 percentage points)
- Grade 8: 34.7% → 71.7% (+37 percentage points)
These gains are especially notable given the relatively short implementation window, demonstrating how quickly strong instructional materials—when used well—can translate into measurable student outcomes.
Why It Worked
The case study points to several factors behind Windsor Charter Academy’s success:
A Coherent, Standards-Aligned Curriculum
IM v.360 provided teachers with a clear, coherent progression of grade-level mathematics aligned to standards, supporting both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency.
Robust Digital Supports
Educators had access to digital lesson delivery, assessments, and data tools through Kiddom that supported planning, instruction, and progress monitoring—all in one place.
Strong Implementation
Most importantly, the curriculum was paired with intentional implementation. Teachers had the tools and structures needed to use the materials as designed, ensuring students consistently engaged in meaningful mathematical thinking.
Together, these elements created the conditions for students to make sense of mathematics and show their learning on high-stakes assessments.
Conclusion
For IM Certified® educators and leaders, this case study reinforces a familiar but critical message: curriculum quality matters, and so does how it’s implemented. In addition, digital platforms, like those provided by our certified partners, can amplify the strengths of IM Math by making lessons, assessments, and data more accessible without sacrificing the integrity of the curriculum.
Windsor Charter Academy’s results offer encouraging evidence that when educators are supported with coherent materials and thoughtful tools, students can make meaningful progress in mathematics. We look forward to keeping an eye on Windsor Charter Academy’s continued success.
Has your school or district seen similar success with IM Math? We’d love to feature your story. Please email us at [email protected].
Next Steps
Inspired by Windsor Charter Academy’s results and curious what strong implementation could look like in your own school or district? A powerful next step is exploring IM Math through one of our certified curriculum distribution options:
- AccessIM – free digital access to the curriculum
- Kendall Hunt – free digital access + paid print materials and lesson slides
- Kiddom or Imagine Learning – paid enhanced digital access with rostering and reporting tools + print materials
Not sure which path is right for your context? Schedule a call with a member of our Client and Partner Success team, or email us at [email protected]. We’re happy to discuss your district’s goals, answer questions, and collaborate on a plan for what strong, sustainable IM Math implementation could look like in your district.
