USMRC Staff Research Featured in NCTM: Learning Trajectories in Action

"When students enter the classroom of an adaptive teacher, that teacher takes the time to learn about each student’s social, emotional, and academic needs and adapts their instruction to meet those needs." (Gallagher & Scholla 2025, pg. 28).

US Math Recovery Council’s (USMRC) Melissa Gallagher and Jennifer Scholla have recently had an article published in NCTM’s Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, Volume 118, Issue 01, January 2025. The article “Adaptive Teaching: Learning Trajectories” highlights the power of adaptive teaching informed by the learning trajectories and sub-goals for Addition and Subtraction to 100. This learning trajectory and others are part of The Learning Framework in Number, a research-based framework within USMRC’s Add+VantageMR® and Math Recovery® courses and Ready Set Math® digital resources. 

The article points to the importance of learning trajectories in informing teacher observations, interpretations, and responses. Gallagher and Scholla provide practical examples of adaptive teaching and an Anecdotal Record Form to support documentation. 

The full article, figures, and Anecdotal Record Form can be accessed through the NCTM website

Melissa Gallagher is the Senior Research and Evaluation Specialist, and Jennifer Scholla is the Development Director at the US Math Recovery Council®.

Gallagher, M. A., & Scholla, J. E. (2025). Adaptive Teaching: Learning Trajectories. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 118(1), 28-36.

Share this Post: