Current research in mathematics education emphasizes deep, coherent instruction that balances conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, reasoning, and productive struggle. Scholars and professional organizations recommend focusing on fewer, high-impact topics at each grade level, connecting representations, and using cognitively demanding tasks that promote reasoning and discourse (NCTM, 2014; Illustrative Mathematics, 2024). Instructional shifts include attending to conceptual understanding before and alongside practice, designing tasks that support productive struggle, and using evidence of student thinking to inform instruction (Carnegie Learning, 2025). Equity is central: classroom practices and curriculum design strongly influence who succeeds in math; equitable practice foregrounds access to rigorous tasks and culturally responsive contexts. Fostering a growth/mathematical mindset—alongside classroom structures that normalize challenge—can improve motivation and learning, particularly for lower-performing students when combined with supportive instruction (Yeager et al., 2019; Dong, 2023). In short, research supports instruction that is focused and coherent, promotes productive struggle, centers equity, and cultivates growth mindsets to engage students and accelerate mathematical learning.