When teachers describe their students as math learners, they likely draw on a diverse set of data, but how they do so and what data they use is not known. This study explores the evidence that K-3 teachers use to support their perceptions of students. Analysis revealed that teachers relied on a variety of evidence, used different types of evidence for different students, and used certain types of evidence more often when they perceived a misalignment between students' performance in math class

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... nd aptitude for math. While this highlights potential for teachers to think deeply and in complex ways about their students, it also raises concerns that teachers may tend to characterize students as being certain types of math learners. Expanding the sources of evidence that teachers draw upon when describing students may open up the possibility for more students to be seen by their teachers as developing mathematicians.