Mathematics

Math Matrix Micro-Credential

The Lastinger Learning Math Matrix Micro-Credential provides high-quality, flexible competency-based online professional learning for mathematics educators.

Program Overview

a math matrix instructor pointing at a graph on a white board with a student raising their hand.

The Math Matrix Micro-Credential is a competency-based, math-specific professional learning experience designed to help K-12 mathematics teachers improve their mathematics and pedagogical knowledge in order to better meet the needs of their students.

Eligible Participants

The Math Matrix Micro-Credential is free for:

K-12 public school districts
K-12 mathematics educators who work in Florida

Benefits

Standards-Aligned: Math Matrix content is aligned to Florida B.E.S.T. standards
Competency-Based with Expert Feedback: Demonstrate competency through assessments (knowledge) and assignments (practice)
Opportunities for Self-Reflection: Structured opportunities to reflect on one’s own practice
Research-Based: Math Matrix content is grounded in mathematics education research
Asynchronous Online: Completed entirely online at your own pace over the course term
Math Content and Pedagogy: Math Matrix content focuses on mathematics pedagogy and K–12 mathematics content
Responsive to Educators’ Needs: We listen to Florida educators’ needs and adjust the course experience accordingly on an annual basis

Educators who successfully complete both Parts 1 and 2 can earn up to 60 hours of professional learning hours and a $1,000 stipend.

How to Apply

Applications open August 6.

To be notified when applications open and to receive updates about other Lastinger Learning programs, please fill out the Program Interest Form.

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Stipend Information

Please visit the Stipends Hub for information about the 2025-26 stipends.

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Partner with Us

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Format

Grades K-12 | Part 1 | Fostering Mathematical Proficiency – Fall 2026
Grades K-5 | Part 2 | Number Sense & Operations – Spring 2027
Grades 6-12 | Part 2 | Algebraic Reasoning – Spring 2027

The Math Matrix Micro-Credential Course Sequence

First, learners take K-12th grade Pedagogy involving fostering mathematical proficiency, and then take either K-5th grade content on number sense and operations or 6-12th grade content on algebraic reasoning.

Together, Part 1 and Part 2 make up the Math Matrix Micro-Credential. Each part is a 12-week course, offered once per semester. By completing both parts over one academic year, teachers earn a micro-credential equivalent to 60 hours of professional learning.

Timeline

Term	Applications	Enrollment	Term Duration
Fall 2026	August 6 — August 24, 2026	August 31 — September 8, 2026	September 10 — December 17, 2026
Spring 2027	New learners cannot apply for the spring term. Learners from fall 2026 will be automatically enrolled.	January 11, 2027	January 14 – April 22, 2027

Fall 2026

Applications are open August 6 — August 24, 2026.

Term duration runs September 10 — December 17, 2026.

Spring 2027

Not open for new applications. Learners from fall 2026 will automatically be enrolled in the spring 2027 term.

Enrollment is January 11, 2027.

Term duration runs January 14 — April 22, 2027.

Components

Part 1 — Fostering Math Proficiency

Course Description: A foundational course focused on rich and effective mathematics pedagogy. Participants will learn effective strategies to support student learning through five comprehensive modules (listed below) and submit five assignments, one for each module, to demonstrate competency.

Mathematical Proficiency

Module Objectives:

Define mathematical knowledge for teaching and distinguish it from common content knowledge.
Identify and describe the strands of mathematical proficiency and demonstrate how these strands are integrated into mathematics instruction.
Explain the concept of learning goals, discuss their importance, and outline methods for assessing these goals.
Evaluate the effectiveness of various teaching strategies and explain how a student-centered approach can foster a deep understanding of mathematics.

Assignment: The Mathematical Proficiency Assignment is a knowledge check consisting of four written-response questions. The questions assess understanding of mathematical knowledge types, the relationship between conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, the importance of learning goals, and student-centered teaching approaches.

Mathematical Connection

Module Objectives:

Express the importance of mathematical connections for students.
Describe strategies for developing both vertical and horizontal mathematical connections.

Assignment: The Mathematical Connections Assignment is a two-part task. Participants submit a mathematics unit plan (or select a sample) and use the unit to write a reflection for developing vertical and horizontal mathematical connections with students.

Mathematics Tasks

Module Objectives:

Describe what constitutes a rich mathematics task.
Select and generate examples of rich mathematics tasks to foster students’ mathematical proficiency.
Implement rich mathematics tasks with each and every student.

Assignment: The Mathematics Task Assignment is a three-part task. Participants will find a task from any mathematics curriculum, enhance the task to increase its mathematical richness, and reflect on the implementation of the task.

Mathematical Discussions

Module Objectives:

Define what constitutes a meaningful mathematical discussion.
Explain strategies to facilitate a meaningful mathematical discussion.
Identify productive or effective open questions and contrast those with closed questions.
Describe accommodations that can allow for more voices to be heard in mathematical discussions.

Assignment: The Mathematical Discussions Assignment is a three-part task. Participants will record and upload a 5-8 (from a small group, whole class, or coworkers/family), complete the discussion trackers, and write a reflection on their observations.

Mathematical Habits

Module Objectives:

Describe the mathematical habits that foster mathematical proficiency.
Identify strategies to foster students’ development of mathematical habits.
Explain how to adapt instruction to foster mathematical habits based on students’ needs.

Assignment: The Mathematical Habits Assignments is a knowledge check consisting of four written-response questions. The questions assess understanding of the three mathematical habits presented in the module (emphasizing strategies over solutions, seeing errors as useful, and using tools as resources). Participants also consider how they might address any challenges they might face when implementing the mathematical habits in their classrooms.

Part 2, Course Option 1 — Number Sense and Operations (K-5)

Course description: This course supports K-5 mathematics educators in developing their content knowledge and learning effective strategies to support student learning of elementary mathematics topics. The course is organized into five modules (listed below) and participants will submit five assignments, one for each module, to demonstrate competency.

Whole Numbers and Place Value

Module Objectives:

Describe the significance of number sense in elementary education and its practical applications.
Explain the foundation and complexities of the base-ten number system and its variety of components.
Develop effective instructional strategies to enhance students’ number sense and place value comprehension.

Assignment: The Whole Number and Place Value Assignment is a knowledge check consisting of three parts. The written-response questions assess pedagogical knowledge for teaching foundational number concepts, including strategies for developing number sense, identifying instructional challenges in teaching the base-ten system, and providing specific interventions to help students understand zero as representing “nothingness.”

Addition and Subtraction

Module Objectives:

Describe how to use various problem-solving strategies, such as mental math, grouping and ungrouping, partial sums, partial differences, number line estimation, and the standard algorithm, to solve addition and subtraction problems effectively.
Develop effective instructional strategies to enhance students’ whole number addition and subtraction comprehension.
Articulate and apply proper mathematical language when discussing addition and subtraction concepts.

Assignment: The Addition and Subtraction Assignment is a two-part task. Participants will record and upload a 5-8 minute video or audio excerpt of a mathematical interview (from a student they work with, or a coworker/family member). Then, they will write a reflection on what they noticed during the interview.

Multiplication

Module Objectives:

Describe how to use various problem-solving strategies, such as skip counting, partial products, the area method, and the standard US algorithm to solve multiplication problems effectively.
Develop effective instructional strategies to enhance students’ whole number multiplication comprehension.
Articulate and apply proper mathematical language when discussing multiplication concepts.

Assignment: The Multiplication Assignment is a two-part task. Participants will analyze two multiplication tasks and then describe instructional strategies they could use to help students build the conceptual understanding necessary to transition from the method used in the first task to the one applied in the second task.

Division

Module Objectives:

Describe how to use various problem-solving strategies, such as scaffolding methods, student-invented strategies, and the standard US algorithm, to solve division problems effectively.
Develop effective instructional strategies to enhance students’ whole number division comprehension.
Articulate and apply proper mathematical language when discussing division concepts.

Assignment: The Division Assignment is a one-part task. Participants will review and critique a lesson plan on long division.

Introduction to Fractions

Module Objectives:

Define fractions.
Explain how to design instruction to support students’ understanding of fractions.
Describe strategies used to face common challenges related to students’ understanding of fractions.

Assignment: The Introduction to Fractions Assignment is a knowledge check consisting of three parts. The written-response questions asses both mathematical understanding of fractions and pedagogical knowledge for teaching them, including critiquing and improving student definitions, analyzing student misconceptions in word problems, and connecting theory to classroom practice through identifying common challenges and instructional strategies.

Part 2, Course Option 2 — Algebraic Reasoning (6-12)

Course description: This course supports grades 6–12 mathematics educators build content knowledge of secondary mathematics topics and instructional strategies focused on key algebra topics. This course is organized into five modules:

From Arithmetic to Algebra

Module Objectives:

Define algebra.
Explain the importance of algebra in school mathematics and students’ future economic opportunities.
Identify the three algebraic habits of mind.
Formulate strategies to support student development of the three algebraic habits of mind.

Assignment: The Form Arithmetic to Algebra Assignment is a knowledge check consisting of four parts. The written-response questions assess understanding of the transition from arithmetic to algebraic thinking, the foundational importance of algebra for advanced mathematics, and pedagogical knowledge of algebraic habits of mind including identifying them in student work and developing strategies to foster them.

Variables and Expressions

Module Objectives:

Define variables and expressions.
Design instruction to support students’ understanding of variables and expressions.
Describe strategies used to face common challenges related to students’ understanding of variables and expressions.

Assignment: The Variables and Expressions Assignment is a knowledge check consisting of four parts. The written-response questions assess both mathematical understanding of variables and expressions and pedagogical knowledge for teaching them, including critiquing and improving student definitions, analyzing student misconceptions in word problems and algebraic simplification, and connecting theory to classroom practice through identifying common challenges and instructional strategies.

Equations

Module Objectives:

Define equivalence.
Design instruction to support students’ understanding of equations.
Describe strategies used to face common challenges related to students’ understanding of equations.

Assignment: The Equations Assignment is a knowledge check consisting of four parts. The written-response questions assess both mathematical understanding of variables and expressions and pedagogical knowledge for teaching them, including critiquing and improving student definitions, analyzing student misconceptions in word problems and algebraic simplification, and connecting theory to classroom practice through identifying common challenges related to students’ understanding of equations.

Ratios, Proportions, and Rate of Change

Module Objective:

Distinguish between ratios and proportions.
Define rate of change and slope.
Explain how to design instruction to support students’ understanding of ratios, proportions, and rate of change.
Describe strategies used to face common challenges related to students’ understanding of ratios, proportions, and rates of change.

Assignment: The Ratios, Proportions, and Rates of Change Assignment is a one-part task. Participants will review and critique a lesson plan on either Ratios and Proportions OR Rate of Change.

Introduction to Functions

Modules Objectives:

Define functions.
Design instruction to support students’ understanding of functions.
Describe strategies used to face common challenges related to students’ understanding of functions.

Assignment: The Introduction to Functions Assignment is a two-part task. Participants analyze two students’ work on a function task and then describe instructional strategies they could use to help students build the conceptual understanding necessary to transition from a correspondence view of function (e.g., Student A) to a covariational view of functions (e.g., Student B).

Disclaimer: The Math Matrix Micro-Credential is not tied to official certification. Those who successfully complete the micro-credential can submit their verification of participation to districts; however, it is up to individual districts as to whether they will accept.

A teacher smiling while sitting at a table, in front of a paper with math exercises on it.

Real Educators See Real Impact

“This course is perfect for teachers with 0 year experience to 30 years of experience. I have taught for 21 years and I was able to grow from this course. I definitely recommend this course to all math teachers.”
Math Teacher, Central Florida

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