Enhancing Math Education in Texas Through Blended Learning: The COVID Effect

In 2018, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) launched a strategic competitive grant program aimed at supporting Local Education Agencies (LEA) in achieving Math Innovation Zone (MIZ) designation. This initiative’s primary focus is to increase PreK – 8th grade math proficiency levels through the implementation of a blended learning model in math classrooms. Blended learning is a data-driven pedagogical technique that integrates specialized adaptive software with traditional in-person teaching. This software enhances a teachers’ capacity to promptly evaluate student comprehension of content in real-time during the learning process, which enables the teacher to deliver targeted interventions and extensions as necessary. Coupled with direct teacher instruction and peer collaboration, blended learning empowers students to engage in their own learning process by increasing student agency.

This policy brief explores the relationship between MIZ implementation and student achievement, concentrating on the second implementation cohort. This cohort who began blended learning implementation in 2019, is particularly significant due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring of 2020. It highlights how the initiative adapted and influenced education during a challenging period. Examining the influence of the blended learning initiative, despite the crisis, provides valuable insight for educational stakeholders.