San Francisco (August 7, 2025) — The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is rolling out a new math curriculum for grades K-8 adopted by the Board of Education for the 2025-26 school year, marking a major step in the district’s mission to give all students a stronger foundation in mathematics.
The curriculum adoption is designed to expand access to high-quality instruction, integrate engaging digital tools, and provide targeted support and resources for teachers and families. The district continues to offer Algebra 1 for 8th grade students, with a formal recommendation on Algebra 1 policy expected in 2026.
“San Francisco’s public schools are focused on helping every student build confidence and competence in math to be set up for lifelong success,” said SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Maria Su. “The newly adopted materials for elementary and middle grades are designed to give students a more well-rounded math education by focusing on three key areas: being able to solve math problems accurately; helping students understand the why behind the math, not just the steps; and teaching students how to apply math to solve problems in everyday life.”
To improve academic excellence and build a stronger public education system, SFUSD has adopted targeted goals, including increasing the percentage of 8th grade students meeting grade-level expectations from 42% in 2022 to 65% by 2027. To support this goal, SFUSD piloted a new math curriculum last school year with 84 middle school teachers (with 160 elementary teachers piloting). Early results from the pilot demonstrated promising outcomes: students whose teachers used the new curriculum performed better on standardized testing than those whose teachers used the old one.
SFUSD’s districtwide rollout of the new curriculum builds on these promising outcomes. The full implementation will be paired with robust support for teachers to ensure high-quality instruction. Teachers will receive targeted professional development focused on effective use of the curriculum, including strategies to strengthen problem-solving and collaborative learning in the classroom. This work is supported by funding from Salesforce, whose investment in middle school math continues to make an impact across the district.
“The Board of Education remains deeply committed to student success, and these new curricula build on the strong progress demonstrated during the pilot,” said Board of Education President Phil Kim. “As a former middle school teacher, I know firsthand how impactful shared, high-quality instructional materials can be in supporting educators and students. This marks a significant step forward in our efforts to improve student outcomes.”
This adoption follows years of study, research, and collaboration across schools, including input from educators, families, and community partners. Data from pilot programs helped shape the final decision and will continue to inform ongoing support and improvement. By investing in strong instructional practices and adopting, SFUSD is laying the groundwork for improved math achievement across all schools.
“As a teacher, I appreciate how the new curriculum is thoughtfully designed with usability in mind, especially for new educators—it comes fully equipped with student-facing materials, clear guidance, and embedded support for mathematical language routines and complex instruction,” said Karina Chiu, SFUSD math teacher. “With SFUSD’s adoption of this curriculum, I’m excited to create more groupworthy lessons that foster collaboration and peer-to-peer learning, which research shows is especially effective for middle school students. I’m hopeful that with these tools, I can build a thinking classroom where students feel confident communicating their ideas and strategies.”
“Families have long advocated for stronger, more equitable math instruction for our students, and this rollout is an important step forward,” said Jennie Herriot-Hatfield, Board chair, San Francisco Parents Coalition. “We’re encouraged to see SFUSD select high-quality curriculum, especially one that garnered such positive reviews from teachers and families. Thoughtful implementation and ongoing support will be key — and we’re hopeful that this major change leads to real gains in student math success across the district.”
More on New K-8 Curriculum
K–5: Imagine Learning Illustrative Math
For kindergarten through 5th grade, the district has adopted Imagine Learning Illustrative Math, a comprehensive and research-based curriculum designed to develop deep conceptual understanding. Imagine Learning IM curriculum combines digital and print materials to engage students in learning within a vibrant and productive math learning community. The program is based in problem-based learning where students discuss math ideas and build on each other's thinking to understand and apply math concepts. The “Warm Up - Activity - Synthesis” lesson structure allows teachers to foster student-centered discourse and curiosity, engage students in problem solving, and synthesize learning at the end of each lesson.
- Imagine Learning Classroom App: The core digital platform for daily lessons. Every student has a unique login, and parents can also access the platform to follow along with their child’s progress.
- Imagine Math: A supplemental, adaptive practice tool that students can use independently. Families are encouraged to use Imagine Math at home for extra support.
- Math Centers in math classroom communities: In-class rotations and team-based learning experiences will be integrated into lessons to foster student collaboration and classroom math discussions with evidence, with hands-on learning.
Grades 6–8: Amplify Desmos Math
Middle school students will now use Amplify Desmos Math, which combines digital and print materials to support deep engagement with mathematical concepts. The program fosters engagement of students through structured problem-based learning within a collaborative math community. Student inquiry drives learning with meaningful conversations and teachers support students to build on each other’s ideas. The “Launch - Monitor - Connect” lesson structure allows teachers to monitor learning and to support students to synthesize learning at the end of each lesson. With students at its center, the program empowers teachers to build on students’ curiosity and develop lasting grade-level understandings.
- Amplify Desmos Classroom App: The core digital platform for daily lessons. Every student has a unique login, and parents can also access the platform to follow along with their child’s progress.
- Boost lessons: Supplemental math support resources enhance student learning throughout the math units to assist students meet the learning goals of the unit.
- Student-centered inquiry in math communities: The problem-based learning philosophical approach ensures student discussion, meaning-making and applied problem solving as the drivers of learning in a math classroom community.
- Caregiver Hub: Families will have access to a dedicated parent resource page with materials in multiple languages and access to supportive math practice examples
- The curriculum rollout follows a successful pilot with 84 middle school teachers, which showed strong gains in student performance.
Learn more information about the new curriculum and family resources.
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