AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath today announced that 14 school districts and open-enrollment charter schools will be part of the 2018-2019 Texas Education Agency’s Math Innovation Zone pilot. Math Innovation Zones (MIZ) will support school districts and open enrollment charter schools in the expansion of high-quality blended learning programs in math.

“The opportunity to dramatically impact the life trajectory of students with a focus on 8th grade Algebra I has established the foundation of Math Innovation Zones,” said Commissioner Morath. “With an approach that focuses on feeder patterns, work in these zones can help improve math outcomes for students beginning in pre-kindergarten to ultimately increase 8th grade Algebra I readiness and participation.” 

The 2018-2019 program will include Pilot Grant Math Innovation Zones, as well as Exploratory Math Innovation Zones. Pilot Grant Districts will receive a $500,000 grant to pilot Math Innovation Zones during the 2018-2019 school year. Both Pilot and Exploratory sites will receive state negotiated software rates, access to Math Innovation Zones programmatic resources and will be eligible for an outcomes-based grant of $100,000 based on high-fidelity implementation of the program.

The following school districts and open-enrollment charter schools will join Math Innovation Zones as Pilot Grant sites: Dallas Independent School District; KIPP Houston; Mineola Independent School District; Spring Branch Independent School District; and Tulia Independent School District.

The following school districts and open-enrollment charter schools will join Math Innovation Zones as Exploratory sites: Austin Achieve (Austin); Cisco Independent School District; Grand Prairie Independent School District; Laredo Independent School District; NYOS Charter School (Austin); Point Isabel Independent School District; Pioneer Technology Arts Academy (Greenville); Southside Independent School District (San Antonio); and Uplift Education (Fort Worth). 

Through the effective use of a state-approved software program and support from the Math Innovation Zones Technical Assistance Network, pilot and exploratory campuses will focus on a high-fidelity program implementation to drive successful student outcomes in math. 

For more information on the Math Innovation Zones, visit the Texas Education Agency webpage at https://tea.texas.gov/Academics/Learning_Support_and_Programs/Math_Innovation_Zones.

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