FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Anna O’Sullivan
pressinquiry@zearn.org
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, Nov. 3, 2022 – The Tennessee Department of Education announced the Official List of Textbooks and Instructional Materials for mathematics. Through an intensive review by the Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission, Zearn was selected and is the only nonprofit curriculum publisher solely dedicated to K-8 math learning. Materials on this list are approved for use by districts from 2023-2029.
Zearn Math for Tennessee is a blended K-8 curriculum that offers a comprehensive suite of digital and print materials. Statewide, districts can select from the list of instructional materials that is best suited for their teachers and students.
“At Zearn, we believe all kids are math kids, and our aim is to complement the work of great teachers,” said Shalinee Sharma, CEO and co-founder of Zearn. “We developed Zearn Math for Tennessee to support teachers to ensure every student develops a deep understanding of math.”
Before this adoption, in 2021, Zearn Math was used – from urban counties like Hamilton to the more rural ones like Sullivan – as a digital complement to core instruction. In fact, more than 12,000 Tennessee teachers and 2,000 Tennessee parents utilized Zearn in support of 1 in 6 elementary-school students statewide. Additionally, in 2022, Zearn Math was selected through a competitive process to provide math learning content and real-time, progress monitoring for districts participating in the TN ALL Corps. The TN All Corps is a nationally recognized tutoring model endorsed by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.
“When Zearn Math was being used as a digital complement, we felt honored that more than 90% of Tennessee teachers who use Zearn said they would recommend it to another teacher,” Sharma said. “We are equally honored to have been selected by the Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission, which is composed of school leaders, teachers, librarians and residents, all of whom have a stake in student math learning.”
Zearn shows promising evidence to accelerate student learning at scale. In statewide analyses, students who use Zearn grew math scores 2.5 times more than matched students who didn't use Zearn. Consistent Zearn usage also resulted in double digit proficiency gains across student subgroups.
ABOUT ZEARN
Zearn is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization behind Zearn Math, the top-rated math learning platform used by 1 in 4 elementary-school and more than 1 million middle-school students nationwide. Everything we do is driven by the belief that every kid is a math kid. For more information about Zearn’s work in Tennessee or across the nation, contact Anna O’Sullivan, director of communications, at annao@zearn.org.
