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Student Spotlight: Jingyuan Zhang, MS ’28

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Advancing Equitable, Inclusive Mathematics Education through Implementation Science

Jingyuan Zhang is a tenure-track assistant professor in Special Education at East Tennessee State University. Her research focuses on implementing evidence-based mathematics interventions under the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework, with particular attention to implementation fidelity, adaptation, sustainability, and contextual fit in rural school settings.

Jingyuan’s path to Dartmouth began while doing research on supporting students with disabilities and diverse learning needs through improving school math education practice. In her work, she saw firsthand that even well-designed mathematics interventions could fall short without high-quality implementation. That disconnect became the driver behind her work: ensuring that evidence-based practices are delivered effectively and equitably in schools.

Those experiences ultimately brought Jingyuan to the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where she is pursuing her Master of Science in Implementation Science. “I came to Dartmouth to gain rigorous training in Implementation Science so I can better support schools, especially rural schools, in delivering high-quality, inclusive mathematics instruction for diverse learners,” she shares.

Since arriving at Dartmouth, Jingyuan has deepened her understanding of how research translates into practice and where that translation often breaks down. She describes a shift toward more systems-level thinking, particularly around how implementation strategies can be designed not only to support adoption of evidence-based practices, but also to sustain them over time. This perspective has strengthened her commitment to building strategies that endure beyond initial adoption.

“I was surprised by how powerful implementation frameworks are across disciplines, but also how much intentional adaptation, operationalization, and field testing are needed to make them truly fit educational contexts and support inclusive teaching,” says Jingyuan. 

Looking ahead, Jingyuan plans to advance implementation research focused on translating and operationalizing implementation science to the education field and testing those theories, frameworks, and models in mathematics education. Her work examines how contextual factors, implementation strategies, and adaptations interact to influence fidelity and sustainability. By developing and evaluating mechanism-driven strategies within MTSS frameworks, she hopes to contribute to more equitable educational outcomes for all students.

For incoming students, her advice is grounded in clarity of purpose: anchor your work in something that matters to you. For Jingyuan, that purpose is ensuring every student has access to high-quality, inclusive education, a commitment that continues to guide her learning, research, and long-term goals in implementation science.

 

Written By: Mia Soucy

POSTED 4/22/2026 AT 12:16 PM IN #studentspotlight #MS