The NYC Partnership for Math Equity brought together the Center for Policy, Research and Evaluation, NYC Public Schools, Amplify, and the Research Alliance for NYC Schools, with support from the Gates Foundation with the goal of investigating how digital tools that center mathematical sense-making, social problem-solving, and discourse disrupt unequal access to high-quality math instruction and foster engagement, belonging, and positive math identities.

The Partnership’s mixed-methods research study examined how middle-grades teachers in 29 New York City schools used digital lessons from Amplify Desmos Math as a supplement to core instruction. The study found that students and teachers viewed the lessons as supporting math understanding and engagement, fostering peer collaboration, and facilitating rich classroom math discourse. Findings also suggest that students who perceived more opportunities to belong in their math classrooms experienced more growth in math engagement, enjoyment, belonging, and identity.

The full report describes the study design, key findings, and implications for future research and practice.