Shifting from remediation to preparation so all students can thrive in mathematics
Middle school math interventions often rely on remediation, addressing gaps only after students have already fallen behind. What if we shifted to a proactive, humanizing approach? By using "priming"--a strengths-based strategy that prepares students before they encounter new grade-level material--educators can address flawed structures in the system rather than trying to "fix" students. This welcoming guide empowers teachers to help students in Tier 2 and Tier 3 instruction fortify their foundational skills and conceptual understanding, reduce anxiety, and still actively engage with their peers in learning the grade-level concepts and skills of middle school.
Grounded in the latest research, the book tackles critical challenges such as systemic inequities, disengagement, and gaps in student readiness. By integrating formative assessment, asset-based strategies, and practical and engaging intervention tasks, this comprehensive guide supports teachers, math coaches, interventionists, and school leaders to create proactive systems that meet every learner where they are.
Features include:
- 30 ready-to-use, multimodal intervention tasks designed with low floors and high ceilings so every student can engage
- Practical guidance on using the concrete, semiconcrete, and abstract (CSA) approach to build deep, lasting understanding
- Formative assessment tools tailored for intervention settings to monitor growth and individualize instruction
- Classroom vignettes, student work samples, and reflection questions for professional learning communities
Discover how to transform math intervention--systematically and systemically--from a space of remediation to one of genuine empowerment. By embracing priming, educators will be able to cultivate positive mathematical identities and ensure all students are confident, prepared, and ready to learn.
About the Author :
Barbara J. Dougherty was a professor in mathematics education and director at the University of Hawai'i's Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG). She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, chair of the NCTM Research Committee, and served on the executive committee of the NCTM board. She served on the author panel for the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide on assisting elementary school students who have difficulty learning mathematics for the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Educational Sciences. She is the author or coauthor of approximately 22 book chapters, 32 journal articles, and 35 books, including M^Power, A Path to Understanding Algebra (2024), N^Sights Math Games for Conceptual Understanding (2019), and The Math Pact series. Her research, funded by more than $11.5 million in grants, emphasizes supporting students who struggle in middle and high school, with a focus on algebra. She holds teaching certifications in middle and high school mathematics and K-12 special education. Jessica Ivy is the Thomas Ray Crowel Professor of Mathematics and STEM Education at Purdue University Northwest, where she coordinates educational programming at Gabis Arboretum. She teaches elementary, middle, and secondary mathematics and science methods courses to preservice teachers. Dr. Ivy's scholarship focuses on the integration of technology for teaching and learning, the use of digital fabrication tools for modeling, the development of teachers' TPACK, digital citizenship, programming and computational thinking, algebraic thinking, and informal and formal mathematics and STEM education. Dr. Ivy has received more than $2.3M in external funding, primarily through the National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation. Her work has been shared through more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and 50 international, national, or state presentations. Dr. Ivy previously served on and chaired the NCTM Professional Development Services Committee and the AMTE Professional Development Committee. She is a former middle and high school mathematics teacher and earned her Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Ivy holds teaching certifications in middle and high school mathematics.
Karen S. Karp is a mathematics educator who focuses on the intersection of mathematics education and special education. She is a former professor at Johns Hopkins University and at the University of Louisville, where she is professor emerita. Early in her career, she received a Career Development Award from the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation to support more seamless integration between general education and special education. She is the author or co-author of numerous publications including Assisting Students Struggling With Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades and Elementary and Middle School Mathematics. Karen was on the writing team of the NCTM/CEC joint position statement on Teaching Mathematics to Students with Learning Disabilities. In 2024, she chaired the Topic Study Group on Teaching Mathematics to Students with Special Needs at the International Congress on Mathematical Education in Australia. She holds teaching/administrative certifications in elementary education, secondary mathematics, K-12 special education, and K-12 educational administration. Karen is the author of the grades 2-5 version of Proactive Mathematics Intervention (Corwin, 2025) is the founder of the series.
Dawn M. Pilotti is the McRae Family Foundation K-12 Faculty Chair of Mathematics and a Mathematics Specialist at the Currey Ingram Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee, which is a school for students with learning differences. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Fairfield University in Connecticut. Dawn has more than 25 years of experience holding teaching certifications in 6-12 secondary mathematics, K-12 comprehensive special education, and K-12 intervention, with a certificate for K-8 mathematics specialist. She has written interdisciplinary curriculum for local, national, and international organizations such as the National Park Service and the Acropolis Museum and was the 2012 recipient of the Tim Russert Make a Difference Educator of the Year from The Inner-City Foundation. Dawn is currently serving on an NCTM regional conference program committee and was a recipient of an NCTM MET grant for her work with students with learning differences. Dawn earned her EdD from the University of South Carolina, and her scholarly and practitioner interests lie in the intersection of mathematics education and special education.
Nicora Placa is an Associate Professor at Hunter College, where she teaches mathematics content and methods courses for pre-service educators. Her current research, supported by multiple NSF grants, focuses on creating sustainable professional learning opportunities for teacher teams. She is the author of 6 Tools for Collaborative Mathematics Coaching (2023) and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and presented at local, national and international conferences. Nicora serves on the NCSM Board as Coaching Coordinator, advocating for high-quality professional learning supports for educators. A former elementary and middle school math teacher and coach in New York City, she continues to work with schools and districts to provide coaching and professional learning support for teachers.
