Maine’s Collaborative Journey to Coherent Math Pathways

This blog was authored by members of the Launch Years Initiative in Maine. Through the Launch Years Initiative, states learn with and from each other as they work to align mathematics pathways from high school into postsecondary education. 

At the Maine Department of Education (DOE), we believe that math is more than just a subject in school; it’s a language for making sense of the world. We also know, however, that the mathematics students experience is fragmented, disconnected, and intimidating. This is why we have launched a statewide effort to change the narrative. Through the Maine Math Collaborative and a shared focus on coherent math pathways, we are working to ensure that every student can see math as relevant, empowering, and achievable.

A Statewide Call for Coherence

For years, math education in Maine—as in many states—has been guided by local decision making. While this has fostered innovation and responsiveness to community needs, it has also made it harder to ensure coherence in students’ math experiences as they move between grades, schools, and districts.

Educators and leaders across the state began asking: What if we could better align our efforts? What if we could design math pathways that build deep understanding across grade levels while also reflecting the values of equity, real-world relevance, and student agency?

These questions underlie the vision behind Maine’s emerging State Numeracy Plan and the work of the Maine Math Collaborative.

What Is the Maine Math Collaborative?

Launched in 2024, the Maine Math Collaborative brings together educators, curriculum leaders, higher education faculty, and state staff to tackle a big challenge: supporting meaningful, connected math learning from pre-K through high school graduation.

The Collaborative meets regularly to:

• Review research and promising practices in math instruction and systems-level change.
• Explore models from other states and countries.
• Identify barriers to coherence and equity in Maine’s current math system.
• Co-design practical tools, professional learning opportunities, and guidance documents.

This is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it is a cross-role, cross-regional effort, rooted in listening, learning, and shared leadership.

Building Math Pathways That Make Sense

A major focus of our work is creating math pathways that are coherent, flexible, and aligned to students’ goals. Math pathways are intentional course sequences and learning experiences that support deep understanding and real-world relevance, providing students with multiple ways to succeed in college, careers, and life.

Maine’s math pathways journey has been shaped by deep collaboration and a shared belief that meaningful change happens when educators lead the way. Since 2016, the Maine Community College System (MCCS) has been leading math pathways reform in partnership with the Charles A. Dana Center, adopting four major math pathways that move beyond the default algebra-to-calculus route. The Maine DOE became a key partner in 2018, helping to bridge secondary and postsecondary efforts and ensure alignment across the K–12 system. Together, we’ve worked to expand the vision beyond higher education and into earlier grades, creating a more integrated and student-centered experience.

In 2024, we launched the Maine Math Collaborative, a statewide task force composed of math teachers, career and technical education staff, district leaders, higher education faculty, and state education partners. This “coalition of the willing and committed” is charged with broadening the reach of math pathways reform and supporting locally driven innovation with clear, practical tools. One major outcome is a virtual toolkit, designed to help Maine schools explore, advocate for, and implement math pathways that reflect both state-level coherence and local priorities.

Our shared goal is to design math pathways that:

• Foster numeracy-rich environments in early learning that center play, exploration, and math talk.
• Prioritize deep understanding of foundational concepts over surface-level coverage in the elementary and middle school grades.
• Offer meaningful options in high school that reflect students’ goals—whether they’re headed to college, technical programs, or the workforce.

By strengthening alignment between secondary and postsecondary systems and by listening to the voices of those closest to the work, we’re creating math pathways that are transparent, inclusive, and built for Maine’s future.

Real Teachers, Real Voices

This isn’t abstract policy work; it’s grounded in classrooms and communities. Members of the Maine Math Collaborative include teacher leaders piloting interdisciplinary math units, district administrators rethinking course sequencing, and early childhood educators designing playful numeracy routines.

As Lisa Coburn, president of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Maine (ATOMIM) and a pre-K through sixth grade math coach in Auburn, shared:

The work that the Maine Math Collaborative has taken on plays a vital role in promoting mathematical literacy for all students across the state by uniting a diverse group of educators—not just math teachers but also administrators, university staff, members of mathematics organizations, and classroom teachers from all grade levels. Our work has been very thoughtful and has taken into consideration three major elements of supporting change: motivating the elephant, directing the rider, and clearing the path (Heath, 2010). I am very excited to collaborate with this group to plan high-quality professional learning that appeals to educators’ passion for math education, shows a clear path forward, and removes obstacles, so every student can succeed.

Renita Ward-Downer, director of instruction and technology at the Brewer School Department and Maine Curriculum Leaders Association representative, echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the impact on students:

This work matters in Brewer because we want to create pathways that move beyond the traditional model that often pushes students too quickly into advanced courses without solid foundations, or conversely, places students in tracks that become limiting in future opportunities. We look to foster an environment where math education is designed around students' diverse learning needs, interests, and goals to build genuine mathematical understanding and confidence, while keeping doors open for students to pursue different career options.

Ward-Downer added:

What excites me most is that this work helps students engage in math aligned with their passions while developing rigorous reasoning skills. Math becomes a gateway to opportunity—not a barrier. Through the Collaborative, we are breaking down outdated perceptions of math as inaccessible or irrelevant and opening up pathways that truly support all learners.

Educators across the state are eager for more collaboration, clearer guidance, and support for high-quality instructional materials. The Collaborative is helping to build that infrastructure—together.

What’s Next?

We know that this is a long-term effort, but we are encouraged by momentum already gained, including:

• Professional learning opportunities focused on numeracy and equitable math instruction.
• Drafts of Maine’s State Numeracy Plan, informed directly by Maine Math Collaborative conversations.
• A growing network of educators who see themselves as change agents in math education.

As we look ahead, we are excited to continue this work through public engagement, pilot programs, and the launch of additional resources to support local implementation.

Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2010). Switch: how to change things when change is hard. Broadway Books.