Struggling Learners

On Oct. 22, 2024 , Jeff Simon, center, works with math students Gabriel Raposo, right, and Luka Esquer, left, using online AI tools to check their algebra work at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad.
Jeff Simon, center, works with math students using online AI tools to check their algebra work at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad, Calif. on Oct. 22, 2024. EdWeek Research Center data show that fractions and fluency in basic operations are among the areas that most confuse middle and high school students.
Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune via TNS
Mathematics From Our Research Center Here Are the Math Concepts That Trip Up Middle and High School Students
An EdWeek Research Center survey asked educators about the biggest challenges they see in the subject.
Sean Cavanagh, June 11, 2026
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1 min read
Image of polynomial math problems. Overlay of words include: Polymorphic, polygon, polyhedron, polynomial.
Collage by Education Week + Canva
Reading & Literacy Even in Math, Teachers See a Chance to Boost Students' Reading Skills
Minnesota middle school teachers spread foundational literacy skills across academic classes.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 9, 2026
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6 min read
Students follow along in their copies of “Among the Hidden” by Margaret Peterson Haddix in a seventh grade reading class at in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025.
Seventh graders follow along in their copies of <i>Among the Hidden</i> by Margaret Peterson Haddix in a reading class at in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How Family Reading Time Can Help Older Students Thrive
EdWeek readers offer suggestions about how to get older students reading more.
Marina Whiteleather, June 5, 2026
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1 min read
Thu., May 21, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Middle and High School Math: How to Get Struggling Learners on Track
Join this free virtual event to uncover the nature of students’ weaknesses in secondary-level math and find a path forward.
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May 21, 2026
ESOL teacher Anna Kyle assisting tenth grader Welhore Wendela Noah in algebra one class at Annandale High School on April 08, 2026 in Annandale, Virginia. Various approaches include group work, community building, and academic literacy. Materials are created collaboratively, including digital activities (e.g. Kahoot) with writing and speaking assessments. The team tracks progress using standards-based grading and a running spreadsheet. Teachers emphasize vocabulary skills, interactive notebooks, and scaffolds to support language learners. The success of multilingual learners is monitored through test data and reassessments, ensuring students understand their mastery of standards.
English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher Anna Kyle assists 10th grader Welhore Wendela Noah in algebra at Annandale High School on April 8, 2026 in Annandale, Va. More schools are devising ways to help students who struggle in math catch up without taking them out of grade-level classes.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Mathematics Supporting Struggling Math Students Means Building Their Number Sense—and Confidence
Two models schools use to help students learn new material—and shore up gaps at the same time.
Sarah Schwartz, May 6, 2026
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4 min read
A student at Annandale High School in Virginia takes on a math assignment on April 8, 2026. An EdWeek Research Center survey of educators found that many believe students have particular weaknesses in fractions, overall pre-algebraic skills, and fluency in basic operations.
A student at Annandale High School in Virginia takes on a math assignment on April 8, 2026. Many students wrongly see fractions "as things that sit outside the number system," said one researcher.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Mathematics From Our Research Center Fractions Scuttle Many Students' Math Ambitions. New Models Can Clear the Way
Pre-algebraic skills and basic operations also are stumbling blocks, the EdWeek Research Center finds.
Evie Blad, May 4, 2026
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4 min read
041726 Older Math Learner South Bend 8
A student learns to plot a matrix in an introductory algebra class at John Adams High School in South Bend, Ind., on April 17, 2026. Nationally, teachers say many students reach middle and high school with gaps in their foundational math skills.
Arthur Maiorella for Education Week
Mathematics What Schools Should Do to Pump Up the Deflated Math Skills of Older Students
Research offers guidance on supporting teenagers who struggle with foundational skills.
Sarah Schwartz, May 4, 2026
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9 min read
Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: Best Practices for Supporting Older Struggling Readers
Older students who struggle with reading face challenges that go beyond comprehension. Do you know what they are and how to best help them?
April 7, 2026
Wed., April 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Students follow along in their copies of “Among the Hidden” by Margaret Peterson Haddix in a seventh grade reading class at in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025.
Seventh graders follow along in their copies of <i>Among the Hidden</i> by Margaret Peterson Haddix in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025. The district has invested in targeted supports for older readers who struggle with foundational reading skills.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Q&A One Reading Skill Might Be Responsible for Many Older Students' Struggles
Learning how to break down multisyllable words is key to reading comprehension in older grades.
Sarah Schwartz, March 25, 2026
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9 min read
Reading & Literacy Reports Struggling Readers in Secondary Schools: Results of a National Survey
Based on a 2025 survey, this report examines key questions about educator perspectives on reading challenges and solutions for secondary students.
March 2, 2026
Illustration of multiplication and division signs with arrow running through them.
iStock
Mathematics Opinion 3 Big Changes My School Is Making to Boost Math Achievement
It’s time for math educators to look inward to keep what's working and fix what's not.
Mark Miller, February 27, 2026
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5 min read
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H., pictured here on Oct. 29, 2025, has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students. Teachers who work with older readers say they often have a hard time finding texts that support these students' needs at grade level without feeling babyish or patronizing.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Few Books Are Tailored for Older Struggling Readers: 'It's an Absolute Wasteland'
Teachers and researchers identify three barriers to finding reading materials that meet these students' needs—and how to overcome them.
Sarah Schwartz, February 24, 2026
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6 min read
From left: Office of Candidate Services at University of Central Arkansas Director Gary Bunn; Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva; LISA Academy North Middle-High School Principal Bilal Uygur; recipient Jaime Garcia (AR '25); LISA Academy North Middle-High School CEO/Superintendent Dr. Fatih Bogrek; and National Institute for Excellence in Teaching Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett.
Jaime Garcia, the dean of academics at LISA Academy North Middle-High School won a $25,000 award from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, in part for the work he's done to build community and academic by having students help their classmates.
Milken Family Foundation
School & District Management How Two Award-Winning Educators Created Schoolwide Systems for Academic Support
Boosting student achievement should be a building-wide mission, they say.
Sarah Schwartz, February 9, 2026
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3 min read