The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) was grappling with several issues including:

• A respectable rate of growth in student achievement for both fourth- and eighth-grade math in the state of Alabama, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), but below the national average
• A growing concern about the state’s ability to produce graduates capable of competing successfully in fields associated with economic development—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)

To address the above challenge, Alabama collaborated with the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) to examine instruction and achievement in mathematics using evidence-based research. Development of this report was part of SECC’s Alabama Professional Learning Commission project work, which concluded September 2019.