Governor DeWine Announces New Tool to Boost Middle School Math Achievement

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced a new, online individualized learning opportunity to accelerate math learning of middle school students.

All Ohio districts and schools serving students in grades 6-8 will have access at no cost to Zearn, through June 30, 2025. 

“Students deserve every opportunity to succeed, and access to this math program will give teachers another tool to help their students thrive,” said Governor Mike DeWine.

Zearn offers access to a full K-8 math library of more than 1,000 digital lessons, teaching materials and ongoing educator training. The investment is a part of Future Forward Ohio, the state’s plan to help students recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“One priority of Future Forward Ohio is to provide students with tools to accelerate their learning, both for literacy and numeracy,” said Dr. Chris Woolard, interim superintendent of public instruction. “Zearn Math is providing Ohio students increased opportunities to access grade-level math concepts no matter where they are in their math learning journeys.”   

The platform, which is fully aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards for Mathematics and ensures students engage with grade-level math, is designed for flexible use during the school day as well as with tutoring and outside of school with a parent or caregiver. 

“Teachers built Zearn for teaching, and it is heartening to know that it was teachers who originally brought Zearn to Ohio,” said Zearn CEO and Co-Founder Shalinee Sharma. “We know this investment will complement the work of teachers helping to accelerate student math learning.”  

As shown in multiple large-scale studies, students who consistently used Zearn Math each week grew state math scores 2.5 times more than matched students who did not use Zearn Math.

The program is being supported by the Ohio Department of Education through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding.

Districts or schools that would like free access to high-quality instructional materials through Zearn Math can learn more at about.zearn.org/ohio