Jun 24, 2025

New California Mathematics curriculum materials must center multilingual learners from the beginning of the adoption process

Written by

ELSF Staff

California is at a critical moment. For the first time in 10 years, school districts across the state will be adopting new curriculum materials for mathematics. These materials will set the standard for mathematics instruction for years to come. With 977 school districts tasked with educating over 5 million students, the decisions made during this process will have long-ranging consequences. This process couldn’t come at a better time. According to the latest NAEP report, 67% of fourth and eighth graders remain below the basic proficiency threshold in mathematics. Clearly, change is needed.

But first, counties and districts will need to put out the call for curriculum. These Requests for Proposals (RFPs) will outline the expectations and priorities that education leaders expect to see in proposed materials. It also provides an opportunity for educators to demand the materials they need to effectively teach their multilingual students. These RFPs will set the stage upon which curriculum publishers will propose materials that will be used by teachers that serve millions of students for years to come.

Luckily, the state of California has offered a clear vision for the future of Mathematics instruction in California. In 2023, the State Board of Education adopted the California Mathematics Framework. This framework provides guidance for mathematics learning for students at all levels.

Equity features heavily in the framework which states that ALL students “deserve powerful mathematics” and “access to engaging and humanizing education (Ch.1).” This includes over 1.1 million multilingual learners in California’s K-12 school system.

High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are foundational to multilingual learner success, so multilingual learners must be front and center when it comes to any solicitation and adoption of new mathematics curriculum.

Historically, this hasn’t been the case. Sixty-four percent of teachers do not regularly use the currently provided materials. A majority report that they cannot rely on the curriculum materials to help them tailor their instruction for multilingual learners. Ultimately, over 70% of California’s teachers report that they do not feel fully prepared to teach multilingual learners grade-level content standards.

Fortunately, we can change this.

District and local education leaders have the power to create a process for curriculum adoption and implementation that is inclusive of multilingual learners from the very first step of the process. We encourage leaders to review and utilize our Math Curriculum Adoption Toolkit to guide them through the materials adoption process.

Over the next several months, as districts and counties publish their RFPs, seeking curriculum materials from content developers, local leaders face both a responsibility and an incredible opportunity to take meaningful action to support multilingual learners. By demanding that the materials they solicit, pilot, and ultimately adopt effectively meet multilingual learners’ needs, local education leaders can ensure that educators have the tools they need to meaningfully teach California’s multilingual learners.

First, local leaders must understand what high-quality materials look like. Materials must be culturally responsive, linguistically engaging, and they must integrate content and language development.

But understanding what high-quality materials look like is not enough. Local leaders must also take an active role in curriculum solicitation and adoption from the very beginning. Requests for proposals regarding curriculum materials must be intentionally designed with multilingual learners in mind. This is the only way to ensure that the adoption committee has only the best materials to choose from in their implementation decisions.

To be clear, requests for proposals (RFPs) must include language that explicitly calls out the need for materials to effectively support multilingual learners.

ELSF can help counties and districts in this process. We’ve developed a practical guide, with sample language to demonstrate what an RFP designed with multilingual learners in mind should look like. As with all of ELSF’s resources, this guidance was developed using research-backed insight and expertise.

By incorporating these specifications into local Request for Proposals (RFP) and evaluation rubrics, leaders signal their dedication to providing multilingual learners with access to rigorous, grade-level math content while simultaneously fostering their language development and affirming their identities.

RFPs that incorporate the guidance in our resource will make it clear to content developers that counties and districts are taking the state’s mandate to support our multilingual learners seriously. They will also provide helpful context for content developers, supporting their efforts to develop and submit only the highest-quality proposed materials.

With high-quality instructional materials, counties and districts will be well-positioned to help multilingual learners thrive.

By making sure multilingual learners' needs are prioritized in the curriculum adoption process, California’s education leaders can drive meaningful change.

Dr. Alma Castro is ELSF's Director of California Initiatives. She serves as the Vice President for the Lynwood Unified School District Board, and President for the Los Angeles County School Trustee Association. For twenty years, Dr. Castro has proudly served in PK-12 public schools as a Teacher and School Administrator. She is actively engaged in legislative advocacy on Education policy at a local, state and national level. Dr. Castro serves on the California School Board Association (CSBA) Legislative Committee, and is a CSBA Delegate for her region.

The mission of the English Learners Success Forum (ELSF) is to collaborate with field-leading researchers, district leaders, teachers, content creators, and education funders to improve the supply and accessibility of high-quality K-12 mainstream instructional materials that address the linguistic and cultural needs of ELs while building smart demand to reach educators at scale – all with the goal of providing ELs full access to grade-level content and quality learning. Unlike most efforts that aim to improve EL learning outcomes, ELSF focuses exclusively on ensuring that full-year core instructional materials guide teachers in addressing these students’ varying needs.