SCDE Expands Access to High-Quality Math Instruction for K-8 Students

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) today announced a major investment in math education through the Palmetto Math Project, aimed at ensuring that at least 75% of students perform at or above grade level in math by 2030. As part of this initiative, all South Carolina schools will receive free access to Zearn Math – a nationally recognized, evidence-based learning platform  – for the next five years.

“At the heart of the Palmetto Math Project is a bold but simple goal: to ensure every South Carolina student builds a strong foundation in math so they can reach their full, God-given potential,” said State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver. “We’re committed to equipping our educators with the best tools available – and that’s why we’re thrilled to offer Zearn Math to schools across our state.”

Zearn Math is a digital platform where students learn and practice math concepts daily. The program includes more than 1,000 interactive lessons covering all K-8 math standards and is aligned with South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Mathematics Standards.

Designed to support core instruction, intervention, tutoring, and summer learning, Zearn also provides real-time feedback to help students stay engaged with grade-level content. Families across South Carolina can also access Zearn at no cost.

“As a nonprofit built by teachers, we are honored to support South Carolina educators,” said Zearn CEO & Co-Founder Shalinee Sharma. “We know with the right support and belief in their potential, all kids can catch up and succeed in math.”
 
Zearn Math recently earned a “Strong” (Tier 1) rating — the highest possible designation — from Evidence for ESSA, a project of The Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). This rating confirms that Zearn Math meets rigorous evidence standards outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), supported by a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) by RAND Corp. that showed statistically significant gains, especially for students below proficiency.

This statewide rollout of Zearn Math reflects SCDE’s continued commitment to closing learning gaps and empowering educators with high-impact resources to help every student thrive.

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About Zearn
Zearn is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization behind Zearn Math, the top-rated math learning platform used by 1 in 4 elementary-school and more than 1 million middle-school students nationwide. Zearn’s mission is to inspire all kids to love learning math. For more information about Zearn’s work in South Carolina or across the nation, contact Anna O’Sullivan at annao@zearn.org.