Strengthening Early Math Implementation in Mississippi
Overview
Research in early childhood education has increasingly pointed to early math as an important lever for improving children’s long-term academic outcomes. Studies suggest that children’s mathematical understanding develops along predictable learning trajectories and that evidence-based early math curricula—when paired with sustained professional learning and coaching—can meaningfully improve instructional quality and children’s learning. States are increasingly interested in translating this body of evidence into practice, by implementing high-quality early math instruction at scale in ways that are feasible for educators and aligned with existing systems.
Mississippi has emerged as an innovator in the field, making early math a clear priority and investing in curriculum-aligned coaching and professional learning to strengthen instructional practice. State leaders have taken a proactive, systems-oriented approach, focusing both on curriculum adoption and the supports educators need to implement early math well in classrooms. MDRC has partnered with Mississippi’s early childhood leadership and its statewide coaching infrastructure to support the translation of research-based early math approaches into consistent, high-quality practice.
MDRC’s role in Mississippi is as a technical assistance and learning partner, working alongside coaches, educators, and state leaders as they refine their early math instructional practices, strengthen coaching supports, and use data to inform continuous improvement.
Additional Project Details
MDRC’s Technical Assistance
MDRC’s work in Mississippi supports math instruction in preschool by working with state instructional coaches to strengthen math practices while building state capacity. Key components of MDRC’s technical assistance include:
Supporting Coaches and Professional Learning Systems: MDRC works directly with Mississippi’s early childhood coaching team to strengthen coaches’ capacity to support high-quality early math instruction. The technical assistance includes designing and facilitating in-person and virtual training sessions for coaches, supporting ongoing communities of practice, and collaborating with coaches to address common implementation questions that arise in classrooms.
Strengthening Coaching Practice Through Data and Reflection: MDRC is helping Mississippi use its existing data to inform coaching and instructional decisions. MDRC supports regular planning meetings with state leadership to review coaching and implementation data, identify patterns across sites, and refine coaching strategies. In parallel, MDRC will collaborate with Mississippi leaders to develop a data-informed learning agenda focused on early math coaching, training, and classroom implementation—designed to help the state learn from implementation and iteratively strengthen its coaching and training model based on what is working best for educators and children.
Generating Lessons for Mississippi and for Other States
MDRC’s partnership with Mississippi offers a practical example of how states can lead early math improvement efforts by centering coaching, professional learning, and purposeful data use in curriculum implementation efforts. The work supports Mississippi’s immediate goals of strengthening early math instruction while also generating lessons about how other states can build coherent early math systems over time. Importantly, this collaboration positions Mississippi not only to continue strengthening its own approach, but also to contribute to broader learning about how curriculum, coaching, training, and data use can be aligned to support high-quality early math instruction at scale.