CPM is Built Upon Three Pillars
CPM Research Base: The Three Pillars
CPM’s curriculum and professional development are grounded in decades of mathematics education research. CPM’s Three Pillars were synthesized from NCTM standards and constructivist research, and they continue to be validated by current scholarship.
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CPM’s foundation
The three pillars
Synthesized from NCTM standards and research on constructivism in the early 1990s, CPM’s three pillars are still reflected in current math education research and standards, and their benefits for students only deepen over time.
2024 edition
2024 CPM research base report
The full 2024 update to CPM’s research base, organized by pillar. Start with the introduction, then read a short executive summary or the full report for each pillar.
Original report
The original CPM research base report
Dr. Tom Sallee, CPM co-founder, mathematician and research base author, crafted the original CPM research base, synthesizing decades of math education research into the three-pillar framework that still guides CPM’s instructional approach today.
The complete original report, written by Dr. Sallee and still as illuminating as ever. Explore the research behind CPM’s approach in his own words.
1CPM originally used the term “cooperative learning” rather than “collaborative learning.” As research showed the powerful difference between the two for student outcomes, CPM shifted its language. Read more in the Cooperation v. Collaboration research brief (PDF).
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See the research in action
Explore CPM’s research hub, read independent performance reports, or see how CPM supports student and teacher outcomes in districts nationwide.
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