Texas Teacher Reviewers Award Math CatalystTM Texas + Zearn Math for TexasTM 97% Average Quality Score — the Highest Among K-5 Supplemental Math Materials
Math Catalyst™ Texas + Zearn Math for Texas™ has been officially approved by the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE), demonstrating 100% alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards. Through the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process, Texas teacher reviewers awarded the program an average Quality score of 97% — the highest among K–5 supplemental math materials.
In accordance with the criteria set by the SBOE, the program also received perfect Quality scores for Progress Monitoring, Depth and Coherence of Key Concepts, Balance of Conceptual and Procedural Understanding, and Productive Struggle. This review reflects Great Minds’ and Zearn’s commitment to ensuring all Texas educators and students have access to high-quality instructional materials.
As an SBOE-approved program, Math CatalystTM Texas + Zearn Math for TexasTM is considered a high-quality instructional material. This designation allows districts that select the program to apply a state-funded annual entitlement of $40 per student toward its purchase and adoption.
A Coherent System to Support TEKS-Aligned Math Learning for All Students
Districts across Texas are adopting Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Math as a part of the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) initiative to ensure all students have access to rigorous, 100% TEKS-aligned materials to support grade-level learning. Created in partnership by Great Minds and Zearn, two organizations with strong ties to Texas schools, Math CatalystTM Texas + Zearn Math for TexasTM builds on the TEA’s vision for Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Math by delivering a coherent solution that connects classroom instruction, independent digital learning, and intervention.
“The new partnership between Great Minds and Zearn is already making math feel more connected for teachers and students alike. With Bluebonnet Learning Mathematics, Math Catalyst Texas, and Zearn Math for Texas all working together, lessons flow naturally from teacher-led instruction to digital learning. Teachers say planning feels easier, students are more engaged, and everyone is speaking the same math language. It’s exciting to see how this alignment is helping classrooms across Texas feel even more confident and connected in math learning.”
– Amanda Pelletier, Elementary Math Coordinator, Boerne ISD
A Blended Learning Model to Reach Every Student
Pairing ESSA Tier 1-rated adaptive digital learning from Zearn Math for Texas and coherent teacher-led intervention from Math Catalyst Texas, the program equips teachers with the tools they need to reach every learner at every tier — including comprehensive data to inform decision making and coordinated training to ensure implementation success.
“School systems are navigating a crowded field of math programs, digital tools, and training providers, and too often those pieces don’t connect. Math Catalyst Texas + Zearn Math for Texas creates a single, coherent system — designed together, not bolted on.”
– Stephanie Ely, Chief Academic Officer, Zearn
Supporting Success with Coordinated Training
To support successful implementation of this coherent solution, districts will benefit from cohesive implementation training on the full model, delivered by Great Minds LASO 4-approved professional development providers certified by Zearn.
“Just as we want students to experience math as a coherent, connected story across all tiers of instruction and from grade level to grade level, so too should teachers and leaders have coherent, connected implementation support for Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Math, Zearn Math for Texas, and Math Catalyst Texas. As we've already proven in Texas, Great Minds will support school systems with the enabling conditions, leader implementation support, and teacher capacity and classroom conditions that lead to student learning.”
– Michael Norton, Great Minds PBC
Every Tier, Every Learner: The Multi-Tiered Solution Aligned with Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Math
Math CatalystTM Texas + Zearn Math for TexasTM offers the only instructionally coherent, multi-tiered blended learning solution that reinforces, deepens, and extends TEA’s SBOE-approved curriculum. Pairing adaptive digital learning and targeted intervention with real-time data and coordinated training, this blended learning model ensures all students can build TEKS-aligned knowledge.
Tier 1: Daily Independent Digital Learning with Zearn Math for TexasTM
Zearn, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offers Zearn Math for Texas™, an adaptive digital platform designed to guide all students through daily opportunities to independently explore, persevere, and break through in TEKS-aligned, grade-level math.
Every day, students log into Zearn Math for Texas to complete TEKS-aligned digital lessons that reflect the language, models, and learning objectives of Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Math. With over 700 digital lessons across 40 units spanning grades K-5, Zearn’s coherent digital content automatically follows the Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Math scope and sequence to reinforce and deepen grade-level learning. Each lesson aligns to the Texas Research-Based Instructional Strategies (RBIS) for math, ensuring students build both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding.
During each lesson, students learn with guided instruction that follows the Concrete-Representational-Abstract progression. Students solve problems with interactive digital manipulatives and digital models that mirror STAAR-style question types. Each lesson also includes embedded prompts for paper-and-pencil work to help students practice, strengthen and retain new learning. When students struggle, Zearn’s adaptive platform provides targeted, real-time support within the lesson, helping students catch up while maintaining grade-level rigor.
Zearn Math for Texas is backed by proven results for Texas students, earning a “Strong” (Tier 1) rating from Evidence for ESSA, based on a large-scale randomized control trial conducted in a major Texas district. Students learning with Zearn achieved statistically significant gains in math performance, as measured by the nationally normed NWEA MAP Growth assessment.
Tiers 2 and 3: Targeted Intervention with Math CatalystTM Texas
Great Minds, a Public Benefit Corporation, offers Math CatalystTM Texas to support Tier 2 and 3 targeted, teacher-led intervention to address learning gaps and extend thinking — coherently connected to primary instruction.
In a classroom using Math Catalyst, teachers work with small groups of students to address learning gaps identified using the Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Math assessment. They provide explicit instruction using short, 10-minute lessons focused on individual concepts. Concepts also have complementary, leveled practice and application activities that encourage hands-on and collaborative work that can extend thinking.
There are 76 Concept Mini Lessons available across 7 strands within Grades K-5 standards coverage. Every teacher has access to the full suite of content, no matter what grade level they are teaching, so they can address every student’s needs, no matter their starting point.
Learn more about how Math CatalystTM Texas + Zearn Math for TexasTM can support your district’s math goals.
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This document describes Zearn Math for Texas and its alignment with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards and Texas Education Agency's Bluebonnet Learning Math curriculum; it is provided as an independently-generated reference for educators and has not been reviewed or endorsed by the Texas Education Agency. Bluebonnet Learning is a trademark of the Texas Education Agency. All other intellectual property rights belong to their respective owners.
