Mathematics Policy Across the United States: A Landscape Analysis

Abstract

In recent years, evidence-based reading instruction has gained in popularity, and states have enacted legislation to require their use. To help move legislation into practice, states have created guidance documents. More recently, legislative attention is being paid to mathematics. This review analyzed mathematics legislation and guidance documents published from 2004 to May 2025. Across the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 93 mathematics legislation and guidance documents were found to exist in 54% of states. Such documents include information for core mathematics instruction, intervention, and implementation. In core instruction, states most frequently require the use of representations and a focus on problem solving. For mathematics intervention specifically, requirements for monitoring student progress are most common. To support the uptake of these practices, states rely on professional development or adoption of new curricular materials. These new requirements demonstrate a shift towards evidence-based mathematics efforts across the country, but policies related to reading still remain more common.