Ms. Ivkovic, who is contemplating a career change after 19 years of teaching math, worries about attracting talented newcomers to the profession.

Perhaps it's time to think about returning to more traditional ways of teaching math.

"After 34 years of teaching math, to have something like this appear out of nowhere was extraordinary," he said.

The students of a dedicated teacher trying new ways of teaching math, say, would not necessarily show steadily rising scores.

Eventually, he would like to instruct teachers on his way of teaching math, which he describes as proficiency derived from understanding.

She reads math books in her spare time in search of new and better ways of teaching math.

The school has also switched to a method of teaching math that uses props and problem-solving to help students grasp such concepts as fractions.

Everyday Math, developed by the University of Chicago, uses unconventional ways of teaching math that many teachers say are difficult to master.

The grant was used to enhance teaching math and science at Bluefield.

Think about the challenges of teaching math to children on a computer at home.