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Teaching Singapore Math: Evaluating Measures to Effectively Teach and
Implement a New Mathematics Curriculum in 21 Elementary Schools (2013)
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· January 2013
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GATEways to Teacher Education 
A journal of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators 
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1 
PAGE 23 
 
Teaching Singapore Math:
Evaluating Measures to
Effectively Teach and Implement
a New Mathematics Curriculum
in 21 Elementary Schools 
 
 
Fourth grade and eighth grade Singapore 
students’ first-place ranking in 1995 and 2003 – 
and second-place ranking in 2007 – in Trends in 
International Mathematics and Science Study 
has not gone unnoticed by policy makers and 
educators (Garelick, 2006; Hoven & Garelick, 
2007). As a possible consequence of these 
strong international test results, a growing 
number of schools in the U.S. have adopted the 
Singapore Math curriculum (Cai, 2003; Gross & 
Merchlinsky, 2002; Hu, 2010; Leinwald & 
Ginsburg, 2007; Menon, 2000). This study 
evaluates the effectiveness in one U.S county 
that implemented the mathematics curriculum in 
21 elementary schools in 2008. Two research 
questions framed the investigation: 
1. How is Singapore Math implemented by 
elementary teachers?
2. Has the implementation of the 
Singapore Math curriculum resulted in 
increased teacher confidence 
communicating the curriculum and 
positively impacted student learning of 
mathematics?
Answers to these questions will be 
informed first by describing the Singapore Math 
curriculum before surveying some of the 
literature related to elementary teachers’ 
competence in mathematics and curriculum 
implementation. Utilizing O’Donnell’s (2008) 
conceptual framework to determine fidelity of 
curriculum implementation, findings from 
interviews, achievement results, surveys, and 
classroom observations will determine fidelity of 
curriculum implementation along a strong or 
weak continuum. Conclusions advance 
recommendations for administrators and 
teachers to foster an effective curriculum 
implementation.