IM Certified® Blog
Turning the Flywheel: The Next Chapter for Illustrative Mathematics
By Kristin Umland, IM CEO and Cofounder Twelve years ago, Illustrative Mathematics® (IM) was just a scrappy startup with very few resources, held together by five founders who shared a conviction that we could help educators across the United States elevate their math...
Fuel Up for the 2025–2026 School Year
The beginning of a new school year is filled with possibility. Classrooms buzz with energy, students arrive with fresh notebooks and open minds, and educators stand ready to guide and inspire. But as every teacher knows, sustaining that momentum takes more than good...
A Farewell and a Look Ahead
By Bill McCallum, IM Cofounder Every parent knows what it feels like to bring a being into existence with the hope they will one day stand on their own. It is one of the greatest joys to watch them grow, change, and eventually spread their wings. Nothing quite...
Celebrating Bill McCallum’s Accomplishments as CEO of Illustrative Mathematics®
Since 2011, Illustrative Mathematics (IM)—which has reached over three million students and educators—has been guided by the vision, expertise, and heart of our CEO and cofounder, Bill McCallum. Today, we are announcing a milestone for IM: At the end of this month,...
Research Study Finds Students Using IM Certified® Curricula Outperform Peers in Math Achievement
By William McCallum, IM CEO and cofounder At Illustrative Mathematics® (IM), we believe learning mathematics is a lot like learning to ride a bike. You don’t learn by watching someone else do it—you learn by getting on the bike yourself. Sure, it might feel unsteady...
Unlocking the ‘Our’ in Discourse
Catherine Castillo, Sr. Implementation Specialist Brea Jimenez, Sr. Specialist, Facilitator Certification and Quality Assurance What do you notice about this NCTM framework for mathematics teaching? What do you wonder? You likely noticed that four of these teaching...
Student Voice: The Signal, Not the Noise
By Anita Crowder, PhD, Senior Director of Impact Research An ideal Illustrative Mathematics (IM) classroom is one where students’ curiosity drives learning, their feedback shapes instruction, and their identities are embedded in every mathematical task. Student voice...
From Struggle to Success: A Math Coach’s Insights on IM® Math
Jennifer Cullen, Math Instructional Coach/Interventionist, Hortonville Area School District How do you transform math instruction to reach every student—from those who struggle to those who soar? We recently sat down with Jennifer Cullen, an experienced instructional...
Teach and Learn Together: A Professional Learning Community in Action
Deepa Bharath, District Instructional Lead Teacher, Mathematics at Cambridge Public Schools Sarah Caban, Interim Director, K–5 Teacher Learning at Illustrative Mathematics “Illustrative Mathematics is a problem-based curriculum that fosters the development of...
Using the IMplementation Reflection Tool: Classroom Implementation (Part 3 of 3)
Catherine Castillo, Sr. Implementation Specialist Claire Neely, Sr. Implementation Specialist "...[I]nstructional capacity for producing meaningful student learning is a function of the interactions among teachers’ pedagogical and content knowledge; the use of...
