CRPE suggests math is a weak spot everywhere. Derivita believes it’s also within reach.
Many math leaders could have predicted low national math scores, even before this report came out. What CRPE’s State of the American Student 2026 also shows is where real gains are being made, in states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. We believe small daily gains can help more students over the line, and an independent study supports it.
This companion to CRPE’s report looks at the findings through a secondary math lens, and at what can help.
Every district has students within reach of the line.
In an independent ESSA Level III study, one additional Derivita question answered per student per day is associated with a 13-percentile-point gain on end-of-course math assessments: a student at the 50th percentile would be expected to perform at the 63rd.*
For students just below passing, that kind of growth can make the difference.
See the studyFive findings, and what can help.
Each finding comes from CRPE’s 2026 report. Each response describes how a coherent math system can support students and teachers, in line with the Science of Math priorities CRPE highlights, such as data-based decision-making and targeted intervention.
of US students are in districts that have recovered to pre-pandemic achievement in both math and reading.
Catch gaps as they open.
Daily practice with immediate feedback helps students and teachers see what’s missing during the year, not after it.
states where the gap between the highest and lowest performing eighth graders in math grew from 2013 to 2024.
Meet each student’s actual error.
Feedback matched to what a student was trying to do, plus worked solutions, supports students who are behind in the moment.
states have strong policies for preparing math teachers, compared with 12 in literacy.
Support every teacher.
150,000+ expert-authored questions and dynamic worked solutions give teachers rigorous content and scaffolding, including those teaching outside their specialty.
states have published or endorsed K–12 AI guidance since 2023. AI is already in classrooms; state guidance is a patchwork.
AI that guides, not replaces.
Derivita uses AI to analyze student data and surface insights, so teachers can see where their attention will matter most.
Of those 36 states, only 1 (Maryland) requires AI tools to be vetted for academic outcomes.
Efficacy evidence.
Derivita includes ESSA Level III and IV studies, with 85%+ of licenses actively used, ~3x the industry average.
Go deeper.
ESSA Level III Efficacy Evidence
The independent study behind the 13-percentile-point finding, with its methods and limitations.
State of the American Student 2026
CRPE’s full report on what states are doing to help students recover and prepare for the future.
Getting Students Back on Track in Math
Last year’s edition, focused entirely on math and why CRPE sees it as a solvable problem.
Every student can reach grade-level proficiency and beyond when practice, feedback, and insights for teachers and leaders work together.
CRPE figures: The State of the American Student 2026 and 2025 (Center on Reinventing Public Education, Arizona State University), citing Education Scorecard, The 74, NCTQ, and CRPE analysis. *Independent ESSA Level III study, April 2026; grades 7–8, n=1,647. The passing-score graphic is an illustrative average with an example passing score. Association, not causation; individual results vary.