Math struggles look different across learners — and every educator supporting them needs more than a worksheet of tips. Beyond the Numbers is a comprehensive learning collection built for educators who want to move from identifying math difficulties to actively solving them. Designed to support students experiencing math learning disabilities and other math struggles, this collection provides real strategies and interventions that you can use today.
Through six expert-led webinars, four in-depth articles, and author-crafted reflection questions designed for individual or team-based PD discussions, this collection equips you to:
- Design instruction that meets the mandate. Understand what Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) really means for students with learning disabilities — and how to deliver it with confidence.
- Write IEP goals that drive real growth. Learn to translate data into ambitious, standards-aligned math goals that keep progress monitoring meaningful and actionable.
- Demystify word problems. Walk away with concrete strategies to help students decode, reason through, and solve word problems without the anxiety.
- Build a strong intervention toolkit. Explore a curated review of key K-12 math resources, plus practical guidance on designing and delivering effective interventions from the ground up.
- Use data with purpose. Strengthen instruction for exceptional children by learning how to collect, interpret, and act on math progress data.
- Ground your practice in research. Dive into the Science of Math, self-regulated strategy development for algebra, number-line instruction for early numeracy, and the power of collaborative planning in intervention success.
Whether you're writing your next IEP goal, planning a Tier 2 intervention, or leading a school-wide push to improve math outcomes, Beyond the Numbers gives you the research, the strategies, and the discussion tools to turn insight into instruction — and instruction into impact.
Purchasing this collection provides membership access to preselected articles from TEACHING Exceptional Children, CEC’s research-to-practice journal. This limited member access includes only the selected articles included in this collection, and no other articles from TEC qualify under this limited membership access.
If you would like to access all articles from TEC, please consider becoming a member at CEC.
Dr. Jonté Myers
Associate Professor
Georgia State University
Dr. Jonte Myers is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Georgia State University. His research bridges evidence-based mathematics interventions and classroom practice for students with learning difficulties. He collaborates nationally with schools and agencies to translate research into practical strategies that improve academic outcomes.
Dr. Sarah Powell
Professor
University of Texas at Austin
Sarah R. Powell is a Professor in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin and Associate Director of the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. Her research, teaching, and service focus on mathematics, particularly for students who experience mathematics differently.
Dr. Peggy Weiss
Associate Professor
George Mason University
Margaret Weiss is an associate professor of special education at George Mason University. Before completing her PhD at the University of Virginia, Weiss was a special education teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Her main areas of research are in co-teaching, eCoaching, and pre-service teacher preparation. She recently published the book, Specially designed instruction: The definitive guide with colleagues Michael Flagella-Luby, Lisa Goran, and David Bateman.
Dr. Brad Witzel
Professor
Western Carolina University
Bradley S. Witzel, PhD, is the Adelaide Worth Daniels Distinguished Professor at Western Carolina University. He worked in multiple settings teaching math and science to high achieving students with learning disabilities. Dr. Witzel has authored 10 books, over 80 professional publications and over 50 specialized manuals and multimedia works.
Carolyn (Lowe) Honeycutt
Carolyn Lowe Honeycutt has served students, educators, and families in public education for 25 years. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Applied Learning and Development and her Master's degree in Special Education Leadership. Throughout her career, Carolyn has worked in a variety of special education roles, supporting student achievement, program implementation, and collaborative problem-solving across educational settings. Over the past decade, she has focused on helping teams use data to make informed instructional decisions and strengthen partnerships between schools and families. Her expertise includes progress monitoring, data-based decision-making, and translating complex student information into meaningful and actionable next steps. Carolyn believes effective progress monitoring is about more than collecting numbers; it is about understanding the student behind the data and using that information to guide instruction, support, and educational planning. She is committed to helping educators and families use data with confidence to improve outcomes for students.
Recording | How to Design and Deliver Effective Math Intervention
Open to view video. | Closed captions available | 62 minutes
Open to view video. | Closed captions available | 62 minutes
In this webinar, we'll focus on five essential components of math intervention. We'll review and provide examples of ways to boost your delivery of math instruction by using explicit instruction, clear and concise language, and multiple representations. Then, we'll describe the importance of providing daily fluency practice and word-problem instruction. By the end of the webinar, you'll have the knowledge to design and deliver effective math instruction immediately! By the end of the webinar, you'll be able to:
1) Describe five essential components of math intervention.
2) Implement strategies and tactics to fine-tune your delivery of math instruction.
3) Understand the importance of daily fluency practice and word-problem instruction.
Presented by: Sarah R. Powell, Ph.D. This research-to-practice webinar is a collaboration with our friends at the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), which funds some of Dr. Powell's research. Learn more about NCSER at https://ies.ed.gov/ncser/, and find all of Dr. Powell's research at www.sarahpowellphd.com. The Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Special Education Research partners with CEC to provide recommendations on IES-funded research that might be of interest to CEC members. The opinions expressed in these webinars are those of the presenters and do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.
Webinar | Improving K-12 Math for Students with LD: A Review of Key Resources
Recorded 10/16/2025 | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Recorded 10/16/2025 | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Students struggle learning math in the U.S. This is especially true for students with LD. In this session, Dr. Witzel will share how to access valuable resources aimed at improving students’ math outcomes, such as the Institute of Education Sciences, Kansas Math Project and the National Center on Intensive Intervention.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
1) Differentiate emphases between position papers statements and empirical research outcomes
2) Analyze resources for their connection with empirical research
3) Preview the Kansas Math Project (KMP) modules
Presenter: Dr. Brad Witzel
Webinar | SDI 101: Understanding Specially Designed Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities
Recorded 10/16/2025 | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Recorded 10/16/2025 | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Session Description
The purpose of this session is to define specially designed instruction (SDI) and to provide examples and nonexamples of SDI in practice. We will describe the steps to identify SDI for a student with a learning disability using our two-step test and work all the way through to day-to-day classroom instruction.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to:
1) Define SDI and provide examples and nonexamples
2) Identify SDI for a case study student, using their IEP
3) Describe how to plan for SDI in inclusive classrooms
Presenter: Dr. Peggy Weiss
Webinar | Word Problems? No Problem!
Recorded 10/16/2025 | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Recorded 10/16/2025 | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Session Description
In this session, we will focus on how to support students as they set up and solve word problems. First, we will discuss the ineffective keywords strategy. Then, we will review two research-validated practices: using an attack strategy and focusing on word-problem schemas. By the end of this session, you will feel more comfortable supporting students with word-problem solving!
Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
1) Describe why using keywords tied to operations in an effective word-problem strategy
2) Share several word-problem attack strategies and why they are helpful for guiding students through a word problem
3) Describe common word-problem schemas and how to teach students about each of the schemas
Presenter: Dr. Sarah Powell
Webinar | From Data to Impact: Writing Ambitious, Standards-Aligned Math IEP Goals
Recorded 10/16/2025 | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Recorded 10/16/2025 | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Session Description
This session will guide participants in developing meaningful, measurable, and observable math IEP goals that are aligned to grade-level standards. Using task analysis and curriculum alignment, we will write goals that support students performing below grade level in making ambitious progress. Participants will also explore how evidence-based practices can be directly linked to goal attainment.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
1) Use student performance data to identify prerequisite skills aligned with grade-level math standards
2) Apply task analysis to break down grade-level expectations into teachable, sequential IEP goals
3) Connect math goals to appropriate evidence-based instructional strategies.
Meet the Presenter
Dr. Jonte Myers is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Georgia State University. His research bridges evidence-based mathematics interventions and classroom practice for students with learning difficulties. He collaborates nationally with schools and agencies to translate research into practical strategies that improve academic outcomes.
Webinar | Progress with Purpose: Using Data to Strengthen Math Instruction for Exceptional Children
Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin. | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin. | 60 minutes | Closed captions available
Effective math instruction for exceptional children starts with purposeful data. In this session, educators will learn how to use progress‑monitoring tools and strategies to identify needs, adjust instruction, and support measurable student growth.
Speaker: Frank Vazquez
Collaborative planning: The critical foundation for successful math interventions
Article | Collaborative planning: The critical foundation for successful math interventions
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Reflection Prompts | Collaborative planning: The critical foundation for successful math interventions
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Introducing the Science of Math
Article | Introducing the Science of Math
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Reflection Prompts | Introducing the Science of Math
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Self-regulated strategy development for algebra problem solving
Article | Self-regulated strategy development for algebra problem solving
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Reflection Prompts | Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Algebra Problem Solving
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Success on the Line: Using Number Lines to Teach Early Numeracy Skills
Article | Success on the Line: Using Number Lines to Teach Early Numeracy Skills
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Reflection Prompts | Success on the Line: Using Number Lines to Teach Early Numeracy Skills
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Reference List | Beyond the Numbers
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Certificate
6.0 CE Hours credits | Certificate available
6.0 CE Hours credits | Certificate available
