To amend sections 3301.0714, 3302.03, 3314.03, 3317.25, 3324.10, and 3326.11; to enact new section 3313.6032 and sections 3302.131, 3302.132, 3313.6034, 3313.6035, 3319.2214, and 3319.2311; and to repeal section 3313.6032 of the Revised Code to enact the Science of Math Act with regard to academic intervention services at public schools and the establishment of mathematics improvement and intervention plans.
HB934, the “Science of Math Act,” would create a broad set of new state requirements focused on improving mathematics instruction, intervention, and accountability in Ohio public schools, community schools, and STEM schools. The bill would require districts and schools to provide evidence-based academic intervention services to qualifying students, create student-specific mathematics improvement and monitoring plans, and, in certain low-performing third-grade math situations, adopt mathematics achievement improvement plans and use state-listed high-quality math curricula. It also would require districts to identify students ready for advanced math, including mandatory placement of some high-performing seventh graders into Algebra I and advanced learning opportunities for high-performing students in grades 3-6.
The bill would also expand state oversight of math instruction quality and educator preparation. It directs the Department of Education and Workforce to create a list of high-quality math curricula and intervention programs, develop a math-focused professional development course and pilot training for school and regional leaders, and review academic intervention services through random school-level audits. In addition, it would require new applicants for certain pre-K through 8 educator licenses to be assessed for math proficiency, with districts prohibited from assigning a teacher to math if the teacher has not demonstrated proficiency. The bill also ties math performance to report card data and requires districts and schools to report intervention-service information through the state data system.
HB934 would affect several existing education statutes, especially the state report card law and school data reporting law. It amends the education management information system requirements in section 3301.0714 and the report card framework in section 3302.03 to add or modify math-related data, intervention reporting, and curriculum reporting. It also revises community school and STEM school compliance provisions to incorporate the new math intervention and curriculum requirements, and it changes the use of disadvantaged pupil impact aid to explicitly allow spending on math instruction professional development and high-quality math curriculum implementation. The bill would therefore increase state-level reporting, compliance, and intervention obligations for districts, community schools, STEM schools, and educators.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of math improvement and intervention, with an emphasis on early identification, evidence-based supports, and accountability. Although there were no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the structure and detail of the bill suggest a policy approach aimed at raising math achievement through both instructional quality and mandated supports. The bill’s title and provisions indicate a positive framing around student success, teacher preparation, and school improvement rather than a punitive approach alone.
The main points of contention likely involve the bill’s mandates and oversight mechanisms. Potential concerns include the cost and administrative burden of new intervention plans, curriculum changes, reporting requirements, and school reviews; the requirement that some teachers be certified as math-proficient before teaching math; and the possibility that districts and schools may need to replace existing curricula with state-approved materials after low third-grade math performance. Another likely issue is local control, since the bill gives the state significant authority over curriculum, intervention design, and accountability measures for districts, community schools, and STEM schools.
HB934 would substantially expand state education law by adding new math intervention, placement, curriculum, and teacher-proficiency requirements, while also modifying report card, data reporting, and funding-use provisions. It would create new duties for school districts, community schools, STEM schools, the Department of Education and Workforce, and the State Board of Education, and would make related changes to sections governing school accountability, community school contracts, and disadvantaged pupil impact aid. The bill would also create new statutory requirements for student intervention planning and educator math proficiency certification, and it would repeal the prior version of section 3313.6032 to replace it with a new math-focused framework.
The bill appears to have a generally favorable policy orientation toward stronger math instruction, earlier intervention, and more rigorous accountability. Its provisions are framed as a statewide effort to improve student outcomes in mathematics, support teachers and school leaders, and ensure that struggling students receive evidence-based help. No committee testimony or votes were provided, so there is no recorded opposition or support beyond the bill’s text, but the measure’s detailed mandates suggest it is intended as a serious reform proposal rather than a symbolic resolution.
Likely areas of contention are the bill’s prescriptive state mandates and the administrative burden they could impose on districts and schools. Critics may object to required use of state-listed curricula after poor performance, mandatory student intervention plans, random state reviews of intervention services, and the requirement that certain teachers demonstrate math proficiency before being assigned to teach math. There may also be disagreement over the bill’s impact on local control, staffing flexibility, and implementation costs, especially for districts that would need to adjust curricula, train staff, and document compliance under new reporting and accountability rules.