This Month’s New Features and Improvements
Welcome to the first update for the 2025–2026 school year!
You’ve made it through the first few weeks–routines are settling in, names are (mostly) memorized, and the new-year excitement is still bright and shiny. The September Sweet Spot is here! 🍭
NGM Calculators (basic and scientific)
Read on for the details!
Improvements and Enhancements
New stems added to the platform: 61 in June, 70 in July, and 30 in August!
Extended High School Content: Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry, Integrated Math 1-3.
Easier assignment population: A smoother workflow to save you clicks.
Folder sharing enhancements: More flexibility when organizing and collaborating.
Quick Tip
New Features and Offerings
AI Lessons for Grades K-12
Whether you’re cautiously curious or all-in on AI, we know one thing for sure: it can be a powerful timesaver. Our new AI Lessons provide step-by-step written explanations that walk students through problems, freeing up your time for what matters most — teaching. ⏰
After a successful rollout for high school, these lessons are now available across all grade levels. They join our existing suite of teacher-driven supports, including:
Text-to-Speech
Spanish Translation
Vocabulary Support
Instructional Videos
Calculators (see below!)
What’s included:
Explanations are tied directly to the type of question students are working on, but not with the exact numbers. This way, students can use these as a guide.
For multiple-choice questions, students get detailed feedback on each answer choice — why the correct answer works, and why the others don’t.
Each lesson highlights the key concepts and vocabulary students need to understand the question.
Lessons can be read aloud for accessibility.
AI Guardrails: The AI is one-way only — students can’t “chat” with it.
Next Gen Math Calculators
By popular demand (seriously, your emails…added up 🙈), calculators have landed in the NGM platform! Even better, teachers have control over when and how calculators appear. Choose from three options:
- On – visible for all students on all questions.
- Teacher Designated – available only to students you select.
- Required Stems Only – visible only on questions where a calculator is mandated by the SBAC.
The basic and scientific versions are available for 6-12th grade stems.
You asked, we delivered!
Learn more: How to Enable NGM Calculators
Claim 2 Question Stems
Think of math practice like woodworking: you don’t jump into building a birdhouse on Day 1. First, you learn how to use the tools (that’s Claim 1). Then, you apply that knowledge to create something — that’s where Claims 2–4 come in.
We’ve always had a vast supply of Claim 1 questions, but we’ve now started rolling out Claim 2 stems (with Claims 3 and 4 on the horizon). These ask students to apply what they’ve learned to real-world scenarios. New stems are added every week — keep an eye out!
Quick Tip: “Nickname” Your Rosters
Teachers using Clever or ClassLink — this one’s for you!
You can now customize your section names, even if your classes come straight from an SSO. Instead of your rosters looking like this:
you can rename them to whatever works for you (though maybe avoid “Why Can’t I Clone 5th Period?” 😉).
To try it: head to Sections in the left-hand navigation bar.
Learn more: How to Edit Your Section(s)
Coming Soon
Here’s a peek at what’s around the corner:
A redesigned, easier-to-find Progression Playlist (Coherence Mapping Tool)
Mixed Operations in Procedural Fluency
High School Diagnostics
Final Note
As always, we’re building these tools with you — the teachers — in mind. Got a feature request? A question? A bug? A stem you’d like to see? Visit our Contact Us page and let us know.
Here’s to a strong start to the school year! 🎉