Lauri Francis asks her 8th graders which terms they don’t understand in the paragraph their classmates just read aloud. “Blind spot,” one says. Ms. Francis writes the two words on the blackboard.

Typically, middle school math is a one-size-fits-all experience. To prepare for high school math, students study prealgebra, then algebra — rarely moving beyond. This standard approach is especially ...

Sarah never smiled in my classroom. At least not with her eyes. She spoke under her breath. Whispers of words I couldn’t usually hear. She is one of the many students who I remember because despite my ...