Zearn, the nonprofit behind the top-rated curriculum Zearn Math, is introducing an intervention program to further support teachers in ensuring all kids love learning math. The program incorporates new features and resources to give teachers more flexibility when using Zearn Math to support student learning.
With Zearn Math for Intervention, students build foundational understanding that is directly linked to the topic their teacher is teaching. This is achieved through a pioneering approach that connects hands-on instruction and immersive digital learning for every module and topic of K–5 math. Zearn's Chief Academic Officer, Stephanie Ely, notes that this connected approach is critical to supporting deep understanding: "Mathematical coherence is so important in intervention contexts. So often, students who need more support receive digital interventions focused on isolated skill building that is unconnected to the topics their teacher is teaching. Our program directly links digital learning and core instruction, helping students make sense of math and helping teachers ensure that their kids can more readily access daily grade-level learning."
Zearn Math for Intervention builds on Zearn's top-rated instructional materials and includes over 800 digital lessons that feature thousands of personalized remediation paths. These remediation paths provide built-in support on concepts from previous grades, so that students can strengthen foundational understanding while staying on-track to complete grade-level content with their peers. Ely continued, "Every one of our digital lessons layers in support from previous grade levels, so that kids are learning a big idea that is on grade-level with the specific support they need." New intervention features further personalize support by including the option to set students to specific lessons, providing teachers access to individualized student reports, and offering teachers guidance to further support foundational learning.
The top-rated program is proven to increase both student achievement and student engagement with math. Zearn Math meets the criteria in the USDOE ESSA guidance as an evidence-based intervention that qualifies for Title I funding and is eligible for School Improvement Grants under Section 1003, as well as other federal and state grant programs. Research shows students achieve the strongest results when Zearn Math is used as a core instructional intervention in addition to targeted group or individualized interventions.
Zearn's decision to launch the intervention program comes as Zearn Math continues to experience rapid growth. As of Fall 2019, over 300,000 K–5 teachers nationwide use Zearn's instructional materials in their classrooms. The new intervention program will first be available at the start of the 2020–21 school year as part of a Zearn Math School Account. Zearn's CEO, Shalinee Sharma, commented, "Topically coherent interventions aligned to core daily math learning are critical to improving student outcomes. We are excited to launch this new feature set to support teachers in further personalizing our top-rated materials to meet the needs of each student."
