[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-585338-105":59,"doc-detail-585338-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","math-for-every-student-cultivating-math-mindsets-in-middle-school-june-2026","Math for Every Student - Cultivating Math Mindsets in Middle School - June 2026","","A briefing focused on middle school math learning explains why many students in the United States disengage, often concluding they are “not a math person.” It links classroom learning environments to math outcomes, emphasizing how classroom relationships, sense of belonging, growth mindset, and high-quality instruction shape engagement—especially for students of color and low-income families. Drawing on case studies of 10 teachers across five California schools, it outlines practical guidance for teachers and instructional coaches to create supportive math classrooms.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/math-for-every-student-cultivating-math-mindsets-in-middle-school-june-2026/585338/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/math-for-every-student-cultivating-math-mindsets-in-middle-school-june-2026/585338.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Aria Callaghan","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":29},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why do many students disengage from math in middle school?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Students often experience repeated negative math experiences and may withdraw from learning, with surveys showing many students report losing interest or do not identify as “math people.” The brief also notes that motivation and engagement can sharply decline during middle school years.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What classroom conditions support students’ math engagement and success?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"The brief highlights interrelated conditions: fostering positive relationships, developing students’ sense of belonging, encouraging a growth mindset, and delivering high-quality instruction.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How does the brief use teacher case studies to inform guidance?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"It draws on case studies of 10 middle school math teachers across five California schools to illustrate how teachers cultivated research-aligned conditions, and it identifies implications for teachers, instructional coaches, and instructional leaders.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},585338,1792189600,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":29,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":52,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962084926284,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","Math for Every Student  \nCultivating Math Mindsets in Middle School  \nJulie Fitz and Heather Price  \nJUNE 2026  \nSummary  \nStudents in the United States often struggle with math. After repeated negative experiences, too many come to believe they are “not a math person” and withdraw from math learning. This problem predated COVID-19, although the acute impacts and lingering effects of school closures have made the need for change impossible to ignore. Research converges on a clear finding: Classroom learning environments strongly influence student math outcomes, particularly for students of color and those from low-income families. Instructional quality matters greatly, but evidence also shows that students’ classroom relationships, sense of belonging, and mindset toward learning shape their math outcomes. Drawing on case studies of 10 middle school math teachers across five California schools, this brief illustrateshow teachers cultivated these research-aligned conditions for learning in their math classrooms. It also identifies implications for teachers and the instructional coaches and leaders who support them. Together, these findings offer practical guidance for creating math classrooms where each and every student has a greater opportunity to succeed.  \nThe report on which this brief is based can be found here.  \nIntroduction  \nStudents in the United States often struggle with math. The United States has long lagged behind international peers in math achievement, falling below average among countries with similar democracies and market-based economies on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) . Racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps are long-standing and persistent, as are the systemic issues that contribute to them. Furthermore, a 2024 nationwide survey found that nearly half of students report losing interest or being disengaged in their math classes most of the time and nearly a third do not identify as a “math person.”  \nWhat teachers do in their classrooms makes a meaningful difference in students’ math engagement and achievement. Classroom conditions matter for all students during the middle school years and especially for students from historically marginalized groups. Middle school is a time when students’ general school motivation and math engagement can sharply decline.  \nThis brief describes the important classroom conditions that can support middle grade students’engagement with math and then documents how 10 math teachers in five California middle schools promoted these positive conditions in their classrooms. Building from these findings, we offer concrete, evidence-grounded insights for practitioners, specifically teachers and the math instructional coaches and instructional leaders who support their professional practice.  \nConditions That Enable Math Learning  \nEvidence suggests there are interrelated conditions that support students’ engagement with and success in math (see Figure 1) . Students best learn math when teachers:  \n• foster positive relationships,  \n• develop students’ sense of belonging,  \n• encourage a growth mindset, and  \n• deliver high-quality instruction.  \nThese positive conditions show promise for helping all students achieve their full potential in math, likely because they attune the learning environment to students’ developmental needs for safety, secure relationships, and affirming and purposeful environments. Research shows that all students benefit from these conditions, especially groups historically marginalized from math education (e.g., female students, students of color, students from low-income families, and English learners) . These conditions are not merely “nice to have” in the classroom—they are central for full engagement in learning math.  \nFigure 1. Classroom Conditions That Support Students’ Math Learning  \nPositive  \nrelationships  \nSense of belonging  \nEngaged math learning  \nGrowth mindset  \nHigh-quality instruction  \nSource: Learning Polic","cbCairXkGqzoNchK","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairXkGqzoNchK","pdf",435136,"English","# Summary\n# Introduction\n# Conditions That Enable Math Learning\n## Interrelated Conditions Supporting Engagement and Success\n## Figure 1: Classroom Conditions That Support Students’ Math Learning\n# Typical Daily Math Lesson in Observed Classrooms","[{\"question\":\"Why do many students disengage from math in middle school?\",\"answer\":\"Students often experience repeated negative math experiences and may withdraw from learning, with surveys showing many students report losing interest or do not identify as “math people.” The brief also notes that motivation and engagement can sharply decline during middle school years.\"},{\"question\":\"What classroom conditions support students’ math engagement and success?\",\"answer\":\"The brief highlights interrelated conditions: fostering positive relationships, developing students’ sense of belonging, encouraging a growth mindset, and delivering high-quality instruction.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the brief use teacher case studies to inform guidance?\",\"answer\":\"It draws on case studies of 10 middle school math teachers across five California schools to illustrate how teachers cultivated research-aligned conditions, and it identifies implications for teachers, instructional coaches, and instructional leaders.\"}]","Math for Every Student - Cultivating Math Mindsets in Middle School - June 2026 | PDF",1792054418,25]