Math Counts Act: The data tells the story

Although it has only been a year since the official signing of House File 784--better known as the Math Counts Act--many Iowa schools, like Gilbert Community School District, are already making waves, prioritizing evidence-based, high-quality instruction in mathematics and early numeracy for their students.

“We modeled what we are doing for mathematics with what we have done for reading for the past two years, so we had a head start,” said Carrie Clark, director of teaching and learning and special education director at Gilbert Community School District. “We were already doing many things required by the Math Counts Act, so it reinforced that we were heading in the right direction.”

Enacted into law in June 2025, the Math Counts Act is designed to strengthen mathematics proficiency for students in grades K-6 through early identification, evidence-based instruction, intervention and a Multi-Tiered System of Supports. The Math Counts Act emphasizes high-quality systems for schools, such as screening tools, regular assessments three times per year, evidence-based professional development, family-centered resources and communication materials.

“Mathematics has stepped in the spotlight, bringing a renewed focus to the needs of all students in mathematics,” said Christi Donald, mathematics education consultant at the Iowa Department of Education. “Through the Math Counts Act, Iowa schools are supported to make data-based decisions and provide evidence-based instruction and best practices, strengthening mathematics and early numeracy for students.”

One of Gilbert’s successes stems from using a screening tool to help identify achievement gaps in mathematics for both whole-group learning and individual instruction. Using Fastbridge, a mathematics screening and progress monitoring tool, Gilbert has been able to collect valuable information and make data-driven decisions about targeted interventions and instructional techniques for students who may need more assistance.

“Our teachers do Fastbridge screening three times a year, which has been useful to see how kids are doing,” Clark said. “If students are showing to be falling below grade-level benchmarks, we can look to see what interventions are being done in the classroom or if they need to add an intervention outside of the classroom. The data tells the story.”

At Gilbert, school leaders bring teachers together to train in progress monitoring and regularly review the data. Through these meetings, they can discuss how to restructure interventions and approach things in new ways, staying flexible and fluid to each student’s needs.

“We hold a data day, right after a screening in order to plan interventions,” Clark said. “We also have a six-week check-in when we do a progress monitoring check. This helps to make sure we are not only data-driven for how we are proceeding but also that we are timely in our interventions so we can truly make changes with students.”

An emphasis on professional development in evidence-based mathematics instruction has also been a top priority for Gilbert. Through the Department-sponsored Build Math Minds training, teachers participated in high-quality professional learning, focused on number-sense interventions.

“Build Math Minds is an excellent opportunity for teachers to get an immersive learning experience on mathematics instruction at no cost to them,” said April Pforts, mathematics education consultant at the Department. “As a mathematics team, we are always looking to provide supports for schools and teachers, and this has been a great way to help teachers develop flexibility and fluency for students and better understand number relationships and routines.”

Over the past year, nearly 1,300 educators and administrators statewide have participated in the Build Math Minds professional learning. At Gilbert, instructional coaches incorporated Build Math Minds into their resources and dedicated discussion time to mathematics during their school’s professional learning community (PLC), an ongoing collaborative professional learning group that offers teachers opportunities to share instructional knowledge and strengthen skills. These trainings and group discussions provided a foundation to better understand evidence-based instruction and interventions.

“This helped set the expectation of what we were going to do and that all of the interventions are built on research-based practices,” Clark said. “We had a few people who pushed back, but with the data, we could show our reasoning and set the framework for the intervention but also show where they could be creative as well.”

Along with evidence-based professional learning and thoughtful discussion, Gilbert has also emphasized high-quality instructional materials in the classroom and interventions as well as home communication with families.

“We have to let parents know where their kids are at in mathematics,” Clark said. “It helps to have honest communication with them on where things are at, what we are planning to do as an intervention and how they can help at home.”

Gilbert’s implementation of the Math Counts Act has provided them with many opportunities to address achievement gaps in mathematics and numeracy early, which can make a huge difference for students.

“If you think about it, kids are in school for a short period of time, around 10 months a year,” Clark said. “If we can address a gap earlier , as soon as it is identified, we can prevent having a larger gap down the road as they move into later grades. The intervention is more effective if we catch it early, which is why our screening process is critical.”

Clark  emphasizes the importance of meeting kids where they are, ensuring individualized needs are taken into account.

“We’re looking at all kids, students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and students needing additional support,” she said. “It is an important piece to ensure we are doing enough to make sure all kids have the opportunity to find success. We don’t want anyone falling through the cracks.”  

Now, one year since its enactment, Gilbert serves as an example for Iowa districts implementing the Math Counts Act with fidelity, using data to review how students are doing across their grade level and providing evidence-based supports.

“We have not missed a beat with this because we know it matters, it’s important,”
Clark said. “Strong mathematics skills help students become critical thinkers and problem solvers and prepare them for future learning and life beyond school. Our work is important for these kids.”