December 17th, 2020 | Austin, TX | Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) today announced that a supplemental K-5 math computer program will be made available to school systems through TEA’s Texas Home Learning 3.0 (THL 3.0) initiative. Like other THL 3.0 offerings, these instructional materials are optional and aligned to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)—the state standards for what grade-level knowledge and skills students should possess.

“ST Math is an effective and engaging program that will help students stay on track whether they are in a classroom or learning virtually,” said Governor Abbott. “The State of Texas will continue to expand the THL 3.0 program and ensure access to dynamic learning opportunities for students across the state.”

“We’re excited that ST Math’s adaptive online product for grades K-5 will be made available to all Texas school systems and families at no cost to them. ST Math’s unique approach provides students with equitable access to learning through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem solving, and informative feedback,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “Each curricular offering through THL 3.0 is dynamic and innovative; these new instructional materials for math will not only be fun for kids, but will also help the lessons to really stick.”

ST Math is easy to implement; its supplemental nature allows for plug and play within many existing math blocks. It is an engaging platform that allows students to take a penguin named “JiJi” through math challenges to build conceptual understanding in math. Due to the conceptual nature of the program, it limits written language and builds strong conceptual understanding of math—which can help all students, particularly English Language Learners (ELLs). Beginning today, all Texans–educators and families–can register for access to a new ST Math account at www.stmath.com/texas.

TEA has partnered with the MIND Research Institute, a nonprofit organization that created ST Math, to deliver this latest set of high-quality resources. Before release, all THL 3.0 instructional materials undergo a rigorous review that includes Texas teacher feedback to confirm quality standards. Additional THL 3.0 instructional materials for other subjects and grade levels will continue to be announced over the coming weeks and months. Currently, more than 100,000 students in 350 different Texas schools are utilizing this program.

No matter where the student engages in learning, ST Math has proven effective at keeping meaningful math learning happening for students. By design, its mastery-driven approach develops deep conceptual understanding at the student’s own pace, making ST Math just as powerful a learning tool outside the classroom as it is inside of it.

“MIND is proud to partner with the Texas Education Agency to bring the patented ST Math approach to all Texas educators, students, and families,” said Brett Woudenberg, CEO of MIND Research Institute. “ST Math is an effective, high-quality blended learning experience that will help to ensure Texas students deeply understand and truly love math—whether they are learning remotely at home or engaged in the classroom.”

THL 3.0 is a comprehensive initiative aimed at supporting school systems, teachers, parents, and students throughout the public health crisis and beyond with high-quality instructional materials, technology solutions, and professional development resources.

TEA previously announced that it will offer all Texas school systems a world-class Learning Management System (LMS) from PowerSchool’s Schoology for two years at no cost. Nearly 400 Texas school systems have already signed up, with another 200 currently engaging with the Schoology team.

Educators in Texas who have used ST Math’s product offered the following feedback about the effectiveness of the program for their students:

“ST Math offers students an engaging and innovative way of learning mathematical concepts. Building a solid foundation in the primary grades is critical and the scaffolding offered in ST Math will help set up students for success,” said Patti Sanchez, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Instruction, Northside ISD, San Antonio.

“ST Math is the best program choice for us because it aligns to our established district priorities, is accessible to all students, and keeps grade level content a priority. Its accessibility to all students was a huge selling point for Crowley because barriers such as language, the ability to hear, and/or English proficiency are non-existent,” said Courtney Davis, Blended Learning and MIZ Coordinator, Crowley ISD.

“We use ST Math to help empower our students to reach their maximum potential in math. ST Math’s unique approach allows students to build problem-solving skills and increase deeper conceptual understanding, all while helping their new friend JiJi,” said Mary Lankford, Director of STEM Academy, Sinton ISD.

For more information on Texas Home Learning 3.0, please click here.