As 2020 came to a close, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced that ST Math is freely available to all Texans through TEA's Texas Home Learning 3.0 (THL 3.0) initiative.
All Texans can sign up to receive free access to ST Math for K-5 through December 2023 at www.stmath.com/texas.
Since free access was announced in December 2020, over one million students from 1,500 schools across 240 districts have signed up for ST Math.
"MIND Research Institute is proud to partner with the Texas Education Agency to bring the patented ST Math approach to all Texas educators, students, and families. 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," said Brett Woudenberg, CEO of MIND Research Institute.
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 aligns with TEKS to ensure Texas students develop deep, conceptual understanding of math concepts to equip them for the challenges of the 21st century.
"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).
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.
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. 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.
Educators in Texas provide their feedback on the effectiveness of ST Math:
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.
– 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.
– 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.
– Mary Lankford, Director of STEM Academy, Sinton ISD
For more information on Texas Home Learning 3.0, visit texashomelearning.org.
Sandra Consilio is the Education Success Director for Texas at MIND Research Institute. She holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) focused in Educational Leadership and Administration.
.png)
Comment