While the academic struggles of young learners in math have been a huge concern, many educators say the challenges facing middle and high school students in that subject are every bit as acute. Recent national test scores in math show a decline in student performance at the high school level that extends back more than a decade. And classroom educators confirm what the test scores show: They describe students arriving in middle and high school lacking foundational skills that make the task of introducing and guiding teens through topics like algebra especially daunting.

In this special report, Education Week looks at where the academic pipeline in math from early grades through high school is failing to deliver, and what can be done about it. One story, by Senior Staff Writer Sarah Schwartz, examines the core academic grounding that many middle and high school students lack, and how schools are attempting to rebuild it. Assistant Editor Alyson Klein breaks down efforts by schools to use technology—specifically AI—to attempt to engage older students in math by “personalizing” lessons to their interests. Senior Staff Writer Evie Blad guides readers through the results of a new, original EdWeek Research Center survey of district and school leaders and teachers on where they see the biggest challenges in secondary math. And Digital News Reporter Jennifer Vilcarino explores strategies to support English learners—a major population in many schools—by focusing not only on their mastery of math concepts but also their math vocabulary. The report not only offers a nuanced picture of the challenges facing schools in math, but also the strategies districts are trying to help students turn the corner.