The AIM Collective: Connecting Research and Practice in Canadian Early Mathematics Education

Collaboration across researchers and educators is needed to ensure that educators have access to effective, practical early mathematics assessment and instructional tools and strategies. The Assessment and Instruction for Mathematics (AIM) Collective is a dynamic community of researchers and educators in Canada committed to sharing evidence‐informed, teacher‐approved math education tools and resources. Through our partnerships, researchers and educators have learned from each other and achieved shared research goals. The model developed by AIM is one way of building and sustaining the relationships needed to support this collaborative work. In this paper, we share what we have learned about the importance of working collaboratively to ensure uptake of early assessment and instruction practices based in research and feasible in classrooms. We highlight one example project done in partnership with a school board that demonstrates impact on student mathematics achievement from combining researchers' strengths at assessment and educators' expertise at developing instructional activities that are well suited to their classrooms.