Last year, 16 of the nation’s most promising math initiatives faced off in the Collaborative for Student Success’ March Mathness tournament. It was a tough competition, but ultimately, automatic enrollment initiatives for higher-level math classes won it all. 

With the tournament underway again in 2025, we thought it was time to take a look at how some of our 2024 competitors have evolved:

Rookie of the Year: Kentucky HB 162

In last year’s tournament, the Kentucky Numeracy Counts Act was a promising bill but had yet to be signed (that happened in April), so it was knocked out of the competition early by the final rounder Alabama Numeracy Act. Now that a year has passed, it’s clear that Kentucky has stepped onto the court as a major player. Key elements of the Bluegrass State’s numeracy efforts include:

• A year-long numeracy academy for school administrators,
• A two-year numeracy academy for K-5 math teachers,
• Professional development and financial incentives for teacher growth and student academic success, and
• The release of instructional resource consumer guides for mathematics (and reading and writing). 

This well-rounded approach to numeracy, especially with its explicit focus on high-quality professional learning and guidance on materials, gives me hope that Kentucky will soon be climbing the ranks in math achievement. 

Most Improved: Louisiana’s “Back to Basics in Math”

Louisiana is a big name in early literacy, and the state is seeking to replicate its success by beefing up its “back to basics” approach in math. In just one year, the state has built out numerous structures for well-rounded numeracy support. Take a look at the legislation passed in 2024 to create high-quality numeracy instruction and supports: 

• Act 649 expands the Steve Carter Tutoring Program, which provides $1,500 vouchers to eligible K-12 students to access high-quality tutoring.
• Act 771 requires high-dosage math tutoring embedded into the school day for students in grades K-5 who score below proficient on the state assessment.
• Act 650 requires many resources and supports for students in grades K-3, including:
  • Instruction in foundational numeracy skills,
  • A statewide numeracy screener,
  • Individual Academic Support Plans for students below proficiency,
  • Interventions for students below grade level,
  • Parent reports on student numeracy performance and interventions, and
  • Resources for parents to support numeracy skills at home. 

Fan Favorite: Alabama Numeracy Act

Alabama has been a crowd pleaser in the numeracy space for years, and the results of the 2024 Nation’s Report Card shows that the praise is well-deserved: Alabama was the only state to return to pre-pandemic achievement levels in math. This one was my pick to win it all last year from the get-go. Enough said.

Rising Star: Performance-Based Tutoring Contracts

One of my hesitations with performance-based tutoring programs is challenges in proving their alignment with classroom curriculum. But with another year of these initiatives underway, the proof of their success is in the data. Take Ector County, Texas, where 6,000 students have received individualized tutoring through contracts with two tutoring companies – and math achievement is the highest it has been since 2014.

What’s even more exciting to me is that the performance-based contracting model may be able to be replicated for more than just tutoring: The Southern Education Foundation and Rivet Education are exploring the feasibility of outcomes-based contracting to curriculum-based professional development.

It’s clear that states are turning up the heat in the math arena. Luckily, there are no villains in this tournament – any initiative to boost student achievement in math is something we all should cheer for.