When learning about Math 180 for the first time, many educators have questions about the intensive intervention program known for helping to raise student achievement in math by more than two years in one school year. The program, which is rooted in relevant, real-world connections, leverages research on effective teaching and learning in math and provides students with the skills needed for college and career success. This article came about to help answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Math 180.
Math 180: Purpose and Origin
1. What is the Math 180 program?
Math 180 is an intensive intervention program designed to support students in Grades 3 and above who struggle with mathematics. It focuses on building foundational math skills, addressing learning gaps, and preparing students for algebra readiness. The program incorporates adaptive technology, personalized learning pathways, and data-driven assessments to accelerate students’ progress and improve their math proficiency. Math 180 aims to help students develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and achieve success in mathematics.
2. Is Math 180 a curriculum?
Math 180 is a comprehensive intervention curriculum for math. The program includes options for both teacher-led and independent software instruction that is age-appropriate, personalized, and adaptive.
3. What is the goal of Math 180?
Through its focus on the priority standards along the progression to algebra, the goal of Math 180 is to accelerate the time it takes for students who are performing below grade level to achieve grade-level proficiency and readiness to succeed in algebra.
4. Is Math 180 an effective program?
As of this writing, Math 180 has been validated by 18 studies that prove its effectiveness in accelerating students who start the program well below grade level toward grade-level and algebra readiness. It has been given a Tier 2 rating of “Moderate” by ESSA, which is the second-highest rating available. It is the only intensive math intervention program endorsed by the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE).
More research about Math 180 can be found here.
5. How long has Math 180 been around?
Math 180 was first released in 2013, and over the past 10+ years, the program has been updated and enhanced. The current version of Math 180 was updated in 2022 and is on Ed, HMH’s learning platform.
For the 2024–2025 school year, HMH will release a new Math 180 module specifically geared to students who need foundational support in addition, subtraction, and place value.
6. Who started Math 180?
Math 180 was built on the research by Dr. Ted Hasselbring of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. It was further developed with the expertise and experience of nationally recognized educational researchers and practitioners in the areas of adaptive technology, neuroscience, language (of math), and growth mindset. In the upcoming expansion for Grades 3 and up (to be released in 2024), Math 180 will include the addition, subtraction, and place value scope and sequence developed with Dr. Juli Dixon.
How Math 180 Supports Every Student
7. Who should be in Math 180?
Math 180 is ideally suited for students in Grades 3 and above who require intensive intervention in mathematics. It is designed to support students who struggle with foundational math skills, have significant learning gaps, or need extra assistance to develop algebra readiness. Additionally, Math 180 is beneficial for educators and schools seeking comprehensive solutions to improve math proficiency among striving students and to address diverse learning needs in the classroom.
8. What grade level is Math 180?
Math 180 was initially designed in 2013 to provide intervention support for middle school students. Today, the content in Math 180 addresses the priority standards along the progression to algebra associated with Grades K–8 and supports Grades 3–12 intervention students.
9. How is Math 180 designed to be engaging for all students?
Math 180 engages students through interactive technology, relevant content, and personalized instruction. Its adaptive software and differentiated approach cater to diverse learning needs and build critical thinking skills. Gamification elements enhance motivation, creating an engaging learning environment for math success.
10. Is Math 180 a special education program?
Math 180 has been used in special education settings, has been proven effective, and is the only intensive intervention math program endorsed by CASE. However, the program is not only for students in special education. It has been proven effective and successful across various classroom implementations with diverse student populations (e.g., students with disabilities and multilingual learners).
More Math 180 research can be found here.
11. Is Math 180 Tier 2 intervention?
In dedicated classrooms, the Math 180 instructional model supports Tier 2 students by balancing whole-group instruction with small-group learning that is targeted to different skills based on students’ needs.
In 2023, HMH developed Math 180 Flex, which is designed to address the needs of Tier 2 students within a core class, before school, or after school.
12. Is Math 180 Tier 3 intervention?
Yes, Math 180 is especially effective for Tier 3 students. The instructional model offers a balance of whole-group instruction with small-group learning that is targeted to different skills based on students’ needs within a dedicated classroom.
13. How does Math 180 ensure students can achieve grade-level proficiency in math?
Math 180 accelerates students toward grade-level proficiency through:
- Building deep understanding and mastery of the essential concepts necessary to unlock algebra;
- Supporting teachers with the technology, professional learning, and resources, no matter the experience level, so that they can achieve classroom success; and
- Building a growth mindset in students and educators and demonstrating how hard work leads to success.
Math 180: Structure and Curriculum
14. What is the structure of Math 180?
The Math 180 program is divided into seven half-year modules that include options for both full teacher-led and full student application delivery of the curriculum.
Math 180 is structured around a comprehensive framework that includes various components such as whole-class instruction, small-group instruction, independent practice, and ongoing assessment. It consists of interactive lessons, adaptive software, teacher-led instruction, and data-driven assessments to support students in developing foundational math skills and progressing toward grade-level proficiency.
15. What topics does Math 180 cover?
Math 180 focuses on the priority standards along the progression to algebra and contains half-year modules that address the following:
- Addition, subtraction, and place value (to be released in 2024)
- Multiplication and division
- Decimals and integers
- Rates and ratios
- Proportional relationships
- Linear and nonlinear functions
16. How many blocks of content does Math 180 have?
In Math 180, individual units are called blocks, and modules made up of blocks are called series. Each of the seven series contains three blocks of instruction. Each block contains an engaging anchor video that contextualizes the content to come. The video and content of each block connect to an overarching career cluster, such as “science and engineering” or “art and design,” to engage students and bridge concepts to real-world scenarios.
17. How many lessons are in Math 180?
There are 315 lessons total in Math 180, although students typically only complete a subset of them. Math 180 contains 21 blocks of instruction, including the blocks on addition, subtraction, and place value. Each block contains three topics (one topic covers one week of instruction), and each topic contains five lessons of instruction (one lesson covers one day of instruction).
18. How long is a Math 180 lesson?
Each Math 180 lesson is designed to fit into a 20-minute small-group session. With the rotational model, teachers can deliver two small-group sessions in a 45-minute class.
The student application focuses on the concept lessons and allows students to progress at their own pace. During a concept lesson, students learn new concepts, skills, and strategies using visual models and engagement routines. Teacher-led instruction includes classroom games and problem-solving lessons not included in the software.
19. What are the zones in Math 180?
Math 180 includes a student application that organizes lessons into learning zones:
- The Explore Zone includes anchor videos and career simulations to engage students with why math matters and how it is used to solve problems in the context of a career.
- The Learn Zone provides adaptive practice and instruction and includes “Fast Track,” where students can demonstrate lesson proficiency and jump to the next lesson.
- The Success Zone provides topic-level assessment for progress monitoring.
- The Brain Arcade contains 11 engaging math games.
20. What are the video games like in Math 180?
The Math 180 Brain Arcade contains 11 adaptive math games that each progress from simple calculation and fact fluency to higher-level content directly aligned to the Math 180 instruction. Teachers can limit how much Brain Arcade time is available within each student application session.
Additional Questions about Math 180
21. How do students access Math 180?
Math 180 is a browser-based online program that is accessed via Ed, HMH’s learning platform.
22. How much does Math 180 cost?
Math 180 is sold on a per-student license basis. Please contact your HMH account executive for a quote.
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