The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is hitting the ground running with a new K-8 math curriculum to shape a generation of math-savvy students. Rolled out for the 2025-26 school year, this curriculum aims to build a strong mathematical foundation by focusing on problem-solving accuracy, understanding the "why" behind math problems, and applying math to real-world scenarios. SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Maria Su highlighted the district's effort, saying, “San Francisco’s public schools are focused on helping every student build confidence and competence in math to be set up for lifelong success,” in a statement per the San Francisco Unified School District.
This much-anticipated curriculum adoption follows a pilot program involving 84 middle school teachers and 160 elementary teachers that positively impacted student test scores. Presenting its preliminary results, SFUSD officials revealed that students using the new curriculum had better standardized test results than their peers under the old system. SFUSD's ambitious target is to propel the percentage of 8th graders meeting grade-level expectations from 42% in 2022 to 65% by 2027, according to the district's press releases.
Tackling math from two angles, the SFUSD has adopted Imagine Learning Illustrative Math for kindergarten through 5th-grade students and Amplify Desmos Math for middle schoolers. The former offers a blend of digital and print materials, boosting student participation through a problem-based learning environment, while the latter encourages inquiry-driven understanding through collaborative community work. In the words of Renée Marcy, district director of STEM, captured by SF Chronicle, "They need to be able to make sense of it themselves."
