Math Proficiency Increases in Birmingham Public Schools

This research brief presents findings on the increased math proficiency in Birmingham Public Schools, Michigan, following the implementation of Imagine Learning Illustrative Mathematics. The district, which serves approximately seven thousand students across thirteen schools, piloted this program in Grades K–7 during the 2022–2023 school year and expanded it to Grades K–8 for the 2023–2024 school year. To assess the impact on math proficiency, the study analyzed i-Ready performance for Grades K–2, M-STEP performance for Grades 3–7, and PSAT performance for Grade 8 before and after the program's implementation. Results indicate significant gains in math proficiency for Kindergarten students based on i-Ready assessments, while Grades 1 and 2 showed no significant changes. Additionally, M-STEP results revealed significant improvements for Grades 4, 6, and 7. Overall, the findings suggest that the Imagine Learning Illustrative Mathematics program effectively supports math achievement across the K–8 grade levels.