Beyond the Test: Building Confidence in Math for Multilingual Learners at Mary Harris Mother Jones Elementary School

A school's success can be measured in many ways, but a 10% increase in MCAP math improvement scores is a clear indicator of something special at play. At Mary Harris Mother Jones Elementary School, this remarkable gain isn't a fluke. 

Improvements stem from a deliberate, compassionate, student-centered approach at this Title I and Community School, where 95% of the nearly 700 students are Hispanic, 80% are learning English, and 12% exited the English Language Development program last year — signaling strong progress among multilingual learners.

Principal Dr. Evylyn Quinones and assistant principals Kimberly Wynkop and Joseph Avara shared the strategies that are transforming their classrooms and empowering students. 

Their philosophy is simple: meet students where they are and give them the tools and the confidence to succeed.

Removing Language Roadblocks to Mathematics

For many students, the biggest barrier to solving a math problem isn't the calculation; it's the language. Dr. Quinonez explained how parents expressed that they couldn't help their children because they struggled to understand the academic terms used in the curriculum.

"We noticed that our students were struggling with math problems not because they couldn't do the math, but because they couldn't understand what the question was about,” Quinones said . “When we swapped those academic words for terms that were more familiar, parents and families could finally connect with the material, and it made a huge difference."

To address this, the school launched "Together Math," a collaborative program with the University of Maryland. Educators worked to redesign math lessons, swapping out complex academic words for more familiar language. For example, instead of using abstract concepts, they utilized sports and other familiar topics to make the problems relatable. This simple change made a huge difference, allowing students to focus on the math itself. 

Reasoning Publicly in Mathematics: Student-Led "Math Talks"

School leaders and educators saw that building math skills meant helping students think critically and explain their reasoning. They introduced daily Math Talks, starting in Kindergarten through Grade 5, to encourage students to lead conversations about math.

Educators act as facilitators, asking guiding questions while students take the lead discussing math concepts or how they arrived at a particular answer before their peers. 

This creates a safe space for students to practice speaking and listening skills and build confidence while reasoning publicly in mathematics, a PGCPS “big rock” for math as identified by Interim Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph.

“We placed a heightened importance on Math Talks,” said Assistant Principal Wynkop. “When we first started, many of our Math Talks were teacher-led. We provided professional development to our educators on how to successfully execute a student-led model. The goal was to get students to explain what they're seeing and how they arrived at their answer, with the teacher simply providing support. The investment paid off in a major way, as our students have the confidence to publicly reason in mathematics."

A Focus on Foundational Skills & Family Engagement

The school also places a strong emphasis on foundational skills. Assistant Principal Avara, highlighted the importance of fact fluency starting in first grade, ensuring students are prepared for the multiplication concepts they'll encounter in later grades. The school also uses word walls and sentence starters to reinforce key academic language.

“We noticed many students would struggle with where to start when it came to explaining their understanding of math concepts. So we introduced sentence starters that give them the first part, and then the student is able to write their response using mathematical words from the word wall,” Avara explained. “Providing sentence starters takes the stress away from a student who doesn't know where to begin and helps build their confidence and perseverance.”

The school also provides enrichment. A variety of after-school programs, extended learning opportunities, and summer school are offered to ensure every student gets the help they need — along with monthly family meetings via Zoom and parent advocacy groups that meet regularly to help parents support their scholars at home.