Ohio lawmakers and Gov. Mike DeWine enacted a math law this summer that borrows the structure of the state's 2023 science of reading statute, directing schools to track math skills more closely and provide struggling students with extra help, according to The 74. Elementary teachers must also demonstrate math proficiency before teaching the subject.
The law's most consequential piece arrives later: By April 2027, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is to publish a list of "high quality" math textbooks and materials. Roughly 450 schools where fewer than 51% of students test proficient in math would be limited to those resources, though most districts could still choose their own books.
Unlike reading, where phonics-heavy instruction won broad acceptance, no similar agreement exists for math. A self-described science of math movement favors explicit, teacher-led instruction, while many educators back approaches centered on concepts, problem-solving and reasoning. The department declined to tell The 74 which studies would inform its evaluation, calling such details premature.
Mike Lipnos, president of the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics, said he opposes the state dictating textbook choices and fears the approved list will reflect the science of math. University of Texas professor Sarah Powell, a movement leader, told The 74 she is not lobbying Ohio officials, and backers did not testify on the bill.
State data cited by The 74 show 55% of Ohio students scored proficient or better in math in 2025, with more than one in four at the lowest level. The reading law carried over $160 million; the math law provides no new funding, and it leaves "high-quality" undefined.