The NYC Partnership for Math Equity is a collaborative effort of New York City Public Schools, NYU Metro Center, the Research Alliance for New York City Schools, and Amplify, funded by the Gates Foundation.
Through the partnership, NYU Metro Center and the Research Alliance are studying the use of Amplify Desmos Math (ADM) as a supplemental resource for middle grades math classes in New York City. ADM is designed for whole-class, synchronous use and to foster collaborative mathematical learning and discourse.
The study examines how, and under what conditions, ADM lessons support students’ positive mathematical identities, sense of belonging in the math classroom, enjoyment, and engagement. The research draws on platform data, teacher and student surveys, classroom observations, and focus groups.
This blog post highlights emerging qualitative findings related to collaboration and belonging. It describes how ADM features such as sharing student responses, snapshots, and anonymization can make student thinking visible, create lower-risk opportunities for participation, and support classroom discussion.
The post also explores how pair and small-group work can help students compare strategies, support one another, build confidence, and strengthen their sense of belonging in the mathematics classroom.
