Mathematics education is at a crossroads. As schools work to prepare students for a rapidly evolving world, educators face ongoing challenges that impact math achievement and engagement. To gain insight into these obstacles, we spoke with school principals about their biggest concerns.

From student motivation to curriculum implementation, their feedback highlights key areas for improvement. Below, we outline these challenges along with strategies to address them—and how NTN Math can help.

1.   Student Achievement and Skills Development

What Principals Are Saying:

    • Improving student achievement is a top priority.
    • Strengthening problem-solving and advanced math skills is an ongoing challenge.
    • Foundational readiness is critical for success.

Challenges:

Many students struggle to see the relevance of math, leading to disengagement and lack of persistence.

Strategies for Improvement:

    • Use real-world applications and culturally relevant content.
    • Incorporate problem-based learning and collaborative activities.
    • Provide student choice and self-directed learning opportunities.
    • Leverage gamification and interactive technology.

How NTN Math Supports Schools:

    • Delivers hands-on problem-solving activities that connect math to real life with our KEMS solution. Learn more here.
    • Provides professional development that promotes conceptual understanding and engaging instructional strategies. Learn more here. 
    • Equips educators with research-based tools to foster a growth mindset through job-embedded coaching Learn more about job-embedded coaching here. 

2.   Teacher Confidence and Instruction

What Principals Are Saying:

    • Many teachers lack confidence in teaching math.
    • Teachers often feel more prepared for English Language Arts (ELA) than math.

Challenges:

Teachers may struggle with delivering rigorous math instruction and differentiating for diverse learners.

Strategies for Improvement:

    • Offer ongoing professional development on effective math instruction.
    • Provide mentorship and coaching for teachers.
    • Ensure access to strong curricular resources and materials.
    • Build professional learning communities (PLCs) for peer collaboration.

How NTN Math Supports Schools:

3.   Instructional Challenges

What Principals Are Saying:

    • Differentiation and understanding student mistakes remain a struggle.
    • Strengthening curriculum use and rigor is essential for improving outcomes.

Challenges:

Misalignment between curriculum, assessments, and standards can create learning gaps.

Strategies for Improvement:

    • Conduct curriculum audits to identify gaps.
    • Align teaching materials with state and national standards.
    • Use formative assessments to track progress and adjust instruction.
    • Incorporate scaffolding and intervention strategies for struggling learners.

How NTN Math Supports Schools:

    • Offers curriculum alignment services to improve coherence in instruction. Learn more here.
    • Provides MathKEYmatics, an assessment tool that easily illustrates student’s misconceptions. Learn more here. 
    • Trains educational leaders on data-driven instruction for targeted student support. Learn more here.

4.  Test and SAT Prep

What Principals Are Saying:

    • Schools need more resources and strategies for test preparation and SAT success.

Challenges:

Many schools lack structured test prep strategies, leading to gaps in content knowledge, confidence, and performance.

Strategies for Improvement:

    • Integrate test prep into daily math instruction.
    • Use data-driven assessments to target specific skill gaps.
    • Teach time management, question analysis, and elimination strategies.
    • Provide access to practice tests, online tools, and tutoring.
    • Encourage a growth mindset toward standardized testing.

How NTN Math Supports Schools:

    • Helps teachers seamlessly incorporate test prep into regular instruction. (Key 3 on PD page) 
    • Provides regular practice for students using virtual math engagement tools through MathKEYmatics. Learn more here.
    • Supports schools to incorporate systematic review throughout the year to eliminate the need to do a “crash course” for test prep.  (link to Key 3 on PD page) 

5.  Curriculum Implementation and Staffing

What Principals Are Saying:

    • Reading fluency misalignment affects math instruction.
    • Schools face challenges in implementing HQIM (Highly Qualified Instructional Materials)
    • Improving pass rates on state exams, addressing teacher shortages, and enhancing lesson planning 

Challenges:

Schools often struggle with curriculum implementation due to staffing shortages and inconsistent instructional approaches.

Strategies for Improvement:

    • Provide structured professional development to support curriculum implementation.
    • Offer instructional coaching for both new and experienced educators.
    • Use a standardized framework to align instruction across grade levels.
    • Leverage technology and supplemental resources in understaffed schools.
    • Develop long-term recruitment and retention strategies for math teachers.

How NTN Math Supports Schools:

Final Thoughts
The challenges in mathematics education are real, but with the right strategies and support, schools can create meaningful change. NTN Math partners with educators to provide the tools, training, and resources needed to address these key issues—ensuring that all students have access to high-quality math instruction.

Want to learn more about how NTN Math can support your school? Contact us today!

Give us a call, we’d love to hear how we can support mathematics at your school 855-686-6284 or schedule your exploratory meeting for a time that works best for you: Schedule a Meeting with Toya!