Many instruction strategies that work in the classroom can be adapted for use during distance learning. Here, we describe three best practices (Individual Think Time, Turn and Talks, and 4 Rs) that support and engage all students in math thinking and discourse and how they can be used in a remote setting.

Coherence—the idea that the math domains are connected to one another and should be presented to students in a way that allows them to see those connections—can be used to address students’ unfinished learning in the 2020–2021 school year.

Fourth grade teacher Frank Salinas successfully had his students complete an assessment during distance learning in spring 2020. In a video, he shares his strategies and offers clear steps for delivering an at-home Diagnostic that gets good, useable data.

Daniel Pink, a New York Times bestselling author, discussed his research on leadership, innovation, and motivation and engaged in conversation with four superintendents about how it could be applied to schools during distance learning. This discussion was part of Curriculum Associates’ “Smarter Together” webinar series.

Setting the right individual growth goals for each student in the 2020–2021 school year shouldn’t be on educators’ list of tough problems. From our perspective, each student should have a goal that is both realistic and ambitious. This year, more than any other, students will need big goals that help make up for some of the disruption they experienced in spring 2020.