Texas Now Legally Requires K-3 Math Teachers to Retrain
Texas has made K-3 math training mandatory, not optional. If you're a classroom teacher, principal, assistant principal, math coach, or interventionist working with kindergarten through Grade 3, here's exactly what House Bill 2 now requires of you, by when, and why the state is mandating it.
- Texas' New Math Academies Move Toward Statewide Implementation
- What Are the Texas Math Academies?
- Who Will Be Required to Attend?
- What Happens After 2030–31?
- The 2026–27 Pilot
- Texas Math Academies Timeline
- Inside the 30-Hour Program
- Different Learning Pathways
- A Focus on Problem Solving
- What Does the Program Cost?
- Are Teachers Eligible for a Stipend?
- How the Program Fits Into Texas' Mathematics Training History
- What About Grades 4 and 5?
- What This Means for Texas Schools
- Why the 2030–31 Deadline Matters
- The Broader Instructional Goal
- FAQ
- Sources
If you're a teacher, coach, or lead a K–3 campus in Texas, a new state law now applies directly to you. House Bill 2, passed in 2025, requires every classroom teacher who teaches math in kindergarten through Grade 3, along with principals, assistant principals, math instructional coaches, and math interventionists at those campuses, to attend a Texas Math Academy by the 2030-31 school year.
The Texas Education Agency built the program because early-grade math outcomes have lagged for years, and it wants every educator shaping those outcomes trained the same way, in the same research-based methods, on a fixed deadline that leaves no ambiguity about who is covered and when.
Texas' New Math Academies Move Toward Statewide Implementation
The program is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and incorporates principles from the science of learning. The initiative follows changes made through House Bill 2 (HB 2) in 2025. Under the law, Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools must ensure that specified educators working with kindergarten through Grade 3 students have attended a Texas Math Academy by the 2030–31 school year.
The statewide rollout follows a pilot scheduled for the 2026–27 school year, with full implementation beginning in 2027–28.
What Are the Texas Math Academies?
The Texas Math Academies are a structured professional-development program for educators who teach or support mathematics in the early elementary grades. According to TEA, the academies focus on helping educators develop stronger instructional practices in areas including:
- Mathematical fluency
- Problem solving
- Place value
- Whole-number operations
- Fractions
- Number sense
- Grade-level mathematics pedagogy
- Research-based approaches to learning
The program is designed not simply as a traditional training course but as an extended professional-learning experience. Participants work through multiple modules and apply instructional concepts to their classroom practice. TEA says the academies are intended to strengthen both pedagogical content knowledge and educators' ability to deliver systematic mathematics instruction.
Who Will Be Required to Attend?
HB 2 establishes an attendance requirement for several categories of educators working at campuses serving kindergarten through Grade 3. By the 2030–31 school year, the required participants include:
- Classroom teachers who provide mathematics instruction in kindergarten through Grade 3
- Principals
- Assistant principals
- Mathematics instructional coaches
- Mathematics interventionists
The requirement applies to districts and open-enrollment charter schools. Texas Math Academies also encourages other educators to participate, even when attendance is not required under the statute.
What Happens After 2030-31?
Once the initial statewide implementation period is complete, educators who are newly entering the relevant roles will still have an attendance requirement. Texas Math Academies states that educators required by law to attend must be enrolled and actively participating during their first school year in a Texas public school or open-enrollment charter school if they are:
- New to teaching K–3 students
- New to K–3 administration
- New to Texas
- New to a Texas public school or open-enrollment charter school
The 2026–27 school year represents an important transition point for the program. TEA says pilot implementation will begin during that school year. Local school systems interested in participating may work with their regional Education Service Center (ESC).
Large school systems with enrollment of approximately 70,000 or more students may also be eligible to participate as authorized providers, subject to TEA approval. Beginning in 2027–28, local school systems of any size interested in becoming authorized providers will be eligible to do so. This creates a phased implementation rather than an immediate statewide requirement for every participating educator.
Texas Math Academies Timeline
| School Year | Program Stage |
|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Content development |
| 2026–27 | Statewide pilot |
| 2027–28 | Texas Math Academies — Year 1 |
| 2028–29 | Year 2 |
| 2029–30 | Year 3 |
| 📌 2030–31 | Year 4; deadline for required educators to have attended |
| 2031–32 onward | Ongoing participation for newly required educators |
The timeline means Texas is giving districts several years to move from pilot participation to full compliance.
Inside the 30-Hour Program
The K–3 academy consists of five modules totaling approximately 30 hours and is designed to be completed over an 11-month period. The program combines several learning formats:
| Modules | Format | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Modules 1 & 2 | In-person, live synchronous instruction | Direct instruction |
| Modules 3, 4 & 5 | Asynchronous, via TEA Learn | Artifact submissions; virtual coaching in Modules 3 & 5 |
These modules include artifact submissions. Texas Math Academies describes artifacts as competency-based assignments that provide evidence that participants have mastered and applied the instructional practices covered by the academy. The structure therefore combines direct instruction, independent learning, application of concepts, and ongoing coaching.
Different Learning Pathways
Before enrolling a teacher, a local school system determines which pathway most closely corresponds to the educator's instructional role and district needs. The available pathways are
- Administrator
- Kindergarten/Grade 1
- Grade 2
- Grade 3
This pathway structure allows the training to be differentiated according to educators' responsibilities and the mathematics content they are expected to teach or support.
One of the notable instructional themes in the Texas Math Academies is heuristic problem solving. TEA connects the academy to the mathematics problem-solving model contained within the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Under this approach, students are expected to work through a process that includes:
- Analyzing the information given in a problem
- Formulating a plan or strategy
- Determining a solution
- Justifying the solution
- Evaluating the problem-solving process
- Considering whether the solution is reasonable
The academy emphasizes helping educators understand how to scaffold this process. Rather than treating problem solving as a single technique with one fixed procedure, TEA describes a heuristic as an open framework that can support students' mathematical thinking and processing.
What Does the Program Cost?
Texas Math Academies currently lists the cost per participant at $1,200, described as a one-time cost. The responsibility for paying the cost rests with the local school system.
- TEA also states that local school systems may use Early Education Allotment (EEA) funds to cover teacher attendance at Texas Math Academies developed under the applicable Texas Education Code provisions.
- Other allowable funding sources may also be available. The funding arrangement places an important administrative responsibility on districts as they plan for participation over the multi-year implementation period.
Are Teachers Eligible for a Stipend?
The Commissioner of Education has established a minimum stipend rate of $50 per hour for approved training completed outside the days or hours of service included in the teacher's contract. A stipend is not required in certain circumstances, including when the training occurs during a teacher's contracted service hours or when the teacher participates without district direction or approval.
How the Program Fits Into Texas' Mathematics Training History
The current Texas Math Academies build on several earlier legislative and professional-development initiatives.
| Year | Legislation | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Senate Bill 934 | Introduced the Mathematics Achievement Academies for K–3; participation optional |
| 2021 | Senate Bill 1267 | Expanded the academy concept to additional grade levels; launched academies for Grades 4 and 5 |
| 🏛️ 2025 | House Bill 2 | Established an attendance requirement for specified K–3 educators |
The new program is therefore not simply a continuation of the earlier Mathematics Achievement Academies. TEA describes the HB 2 program as a new program that has been redesigned to meet the new statutory requirements and incorporate updated research-based instructional practices.
What About Grades 4 and 5?
The Texas Math Academies initiative also includes professional learning for educators working with Grades 4 and 5, but the structure is different. TEA calls these offerings Texas Math Academies Deep Dives, formerly known as Mathematics Achievement Academies.
Unlike the K–3 program created under the new attendance requirement, participation in the Grades 4–5 Deep Dives is optional. The Deep Dives are designed to provide extended professional learning around research-based, systematic approaches to mathematics instruction, with particular attention to students' problem-solving abilities, number sense, and fluency.
What This Means for Texas Schools
The implementation of the Texas Math Academies will have several practical implications for school districts.
| Area | What It Involves |
|---|---|
| District planning | Identify educators who fall under the attendance requirement and plan when those employees will complete the academy |
| Professional learning | Coordinate academy participation with other professional-development activities and educators' schedules |
| Financial planning | Account for the $1,200 one-time cost per participant as participation expands |
| Human resources tracking | Verify that required K–3 teachers and administrators have attended the academy by the 2030–31 deadline |
| Long-term onboarding | Continue enrolling newly required educators after the initial implementation period, as an ongoing part of professional development |
Why the 2030-31 Deadline Matters
The implementation schedule gives Texas several years to transition from development and pilot activities to full statewide participation. The sequence is deliberate:
By the end of the 2030–31 school year, the educators covered by HB 2 must have attended a Texas Math Academy. After that point, the focus shifts toward ensuring that educators who newly enter covered roles complete the training as part of their first year in the Texas public-school system.
The Broader Instructional Goal
At the center of the initiative is an effort to improve how mathematics is taught in the earliest grades. The program emphasizes foundational mathematics skills while also focusing on how students reason, solve problems, and explain mathematical thinking.
Texas Math Academies describes the academies as professional learning grounded in the science of learning and aligned with TEKS. The agency's materials emphasize systematic instruction, foundational mathematical concepts, and the development of educators' ability to support student learning. The effectiveness of the statewide initiative will ultimately depend on how the training is implemented by districts and educators and how those instructional practices translate into classroom experiences and student learning.
Texas is also changing how it tests students statewide, separate from this teacher-training rollout—see our guide to the Student Success Tool replacing STAAR from 2027 if you want the full picture of what's changing in Texas classrooms.
Teacher training rolls out over years.
Knowing where your child stands doesn't have to wait.
Texas Math Academies improve how teachers teach math over the next several years — it won't tell you how your own child is doing today. Our one-on-one evaluation helps uncover reasoning skills, problem-solving habits, and areas where your child is ready to grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Texas Math Academies?
The Texas Math Academies are a structured professional-development program for K–3 educators, run by the Texas Education Agency, focused on strengthening how mathematics is taught in the early grades.
Who is required to attend?
Classroom teachers who provide math instruction in kindergarten through Grade 3, along with principals, assistant principals, math instructional coaches, and math interventionists at those campuses, must attend by the 2030–31 school year.
When is the attendance deadline?
The deadline is the end of the 2030–31 school year. After that, any educator newly entering a required role must complete the academy during their first year in that role.
What does the program cost?
TEA lists the cost at $1,200 per participant, a one-time fee paid by the local school system, which may use Early Education Allotment funds to cover it.
Are teachers paid a stipend to attend?
Yes, in most cases. A teacher directed or approved to attend outside contract hours is entitled to a stipend of at least $50 per hour, per House Bill 2.
When does the statewide pilot begin?
The pilot begins in the 2026–27 school year through regional Education Service Centers or, for large districts, direct authorized-provider status with TEA approval.
Is the program required for Grades 4 and 5?
No. Grades 4 and 5 have a separate, optional program called Texas Math Academies Deep Dives, which is not mandatory.
How is this different from the earlier Mathematics Achievement Academies?
The earlier academies (2015 and 2021) were optional. House Bill 2 in 2025 redesigned the program and made K–3 attendance mandatory for the first time.
Sources
- Texas Math Academies — Texas Education Agency — official program page: structure, attendance requirements, funding, stipend rules, and legislative background
- House Bill 2, 89th Texas Legislature (2025)—the legislation that made K-3 attendance mandatory
- Texas Education Code §21.4553—Teacher Mathematics Achievement and Interventionist Academies—the statute defining academy training requirements
- HB 2 Implementation of Stipend Requirements for Reading Academies and Mathematics Achievement Academies (TAA letter)—Texas Education Agency—official guidance on stipend eligibility exceptions, published August 2025
- Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS)—University of North Texas—official page for the unrelated gifted-student program often confused with Texas Math Academies
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