Dallas ISD is one of some 400 school systems around Texas testing out a new math curriculum as its student achievement scores continue to lag following the COVID-19 lockdowns.
A number of public and private schools across Texas have rolled out a new program called Eureka Math. Although the results will not be revealed until the next State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam scores are released by the Texas Education Agency, the program has been lauded for resulting in significant learning gains elsewhere in the United States.
“I am truly shocked,” said Joy Engel, an assistant superintendent at Turner USD schools in Lawrence, Kansas, according to a press release from the vendor behind Eureka Math, Great Minds PBC. “In my experience, no resource change has made such an immediate impact on performance.”
The curriculum does not focus on helping students prepare for the test per se, but rather to better understand mathematical concepts overall.
“Our teacher–writers and mathematicians wrote Eureka Math to help students develop enduring knowledge of math and highlight the ways in which it is seen in everyday life,” explained Lynne Munson, CEO of Great Minds. “The curriculum supports teachers in creating joyful learning experiences that allow all students to succeed.”
Dallas ISD rolled out the new program across its schools after a purportedly successful pilot run at Anson Jones Elementary School. Students saw improved math scores and had more confidence with math concepts.
“At first, they struggled, obviously, because it was different,” said Yamileth Cedillos, a teacher at Anson, according to NBC 5 DFW.
“By the end of the year, I saw that they grew slowly, but they got there,” said Cedillos.
Dallas ISD has had lackluster academic achievement scores, with only 41% of students scoring at grade level on their STAAR exams across all subjects in the 2021-2022 school year. In the math section, only 39% of students scored at grade level, a few points below the statewide average of 42%, according to the district’s latest Texas Education Agency accountability report.
Indeed, Texas students have not made up for the learning loss seen during the pandemic-era school closures, with only 45% in third through eighth grade passing the math portion of the STAAR test last year. The implications of this shortfall are considerable, education experts have warned.
“Is our inability to get kids back towards this increased level of mastery — for math — going to limit them in the long run for the types of jobs that you’re going to be able to access, or even feel like they can access, in the future?” said Gabe Grantham, a policy analyst at the think tank Texas 2036, according to The Texas Tribune.
“If we don’t do anything about this at the state level in 2025, we’re going to be behind the ball.”