Ohio lawmakers just passed a sweeping math reform bill. Here’s what’s in it.

More than a year after it was first introduced, Senate Bill 19 has finally crossed the finish line. The legislation’s path to the governor’s desk has been a winding one, marked by plenty of additions and subtractions, but the final bill is one that lawmakers should be proud of. Let’s take a closer look at what it should accomplish once it becomes law. 

1. Help for struggling students.

When students take Ohio’s state exams, their results fall into one of five performance levels: limited, basic, proficient, accomplished, and advanced. The top three levels (proficient, accomplished, and advanced) are considered passing scores that are at or above grade level. The lowest (limited) is a clear sign that students are falling behind.

The bad news is that significant numbers of Ohio students scored limited during the 2024–25 school year. In elementary and middle school math, the percentage ranges from 23 percent in fourth grade to an abysmal 39 percent in eighth. English language arts is slightly better, but still worrisome, and ranges from just under 17 percent in fifth grade to more than 27 percent in eighth. To catch up to their peers—and be prepared for adulthood—these students will need intensive intervention from their schools.

The good news is that Senate Bill 19 will ensure they get it. The bill requires districts to provide evidence-based academic intervention services, free of cost, to every student who scores limited on a state test in math, ELA, or both. Students are also eligible if they earn a score equivalent to limited on a diagnostic assessment. Approved intervention services include high-dosage tutoring, additional instruction time, an extended school calendar, and learning support programs. Districts and schools can provide these services directly, through a contracted vendor, or via a combination of both, though they must ensure that intervention doesn’t supplant existing academic instruction. Students must receive services until they score proficient on a state test or diagnostic exam.

To bolster the likelihood that intervention expectations won’t become box-checking exercises, the bill includes two important provisions.

First, districts are required to notify parents or guardians that their student will be receiving intervention and provide a description of which services the student will receive and who will provide them. Schools must also “periodically update” families and provide resources for how they can help their students. These requirements should empower parents to keep a close eye on student progress. They’ll also provide additional information that can help balance inflated grades.

Second, beginning with the 2027–28 school year, the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW)[1] will randomly identify 5 percent of schools (that includes traditional district buildings, charters, and STEM schools) and review the academic intervention services they’re providing to students. As part of this review, the department will assess whether qualifying students are receiving the academic intervention they’re entitled to under law, as well as the types, methods, and quality of services. The resulting report must be posted by each school on its website, and will also be included in student opportunity profiles on state report cards. Collectively, these oversight provisions will hold schools accountable for actually providing high-quality intervention and offer additional transparency to parents and the public.

2. Help for high-achievers.

Struggling students aren’t the only ones who need extra support to reach their potential. High-achievers often do, as well. In Ohio, students who score accomplished or advanced are surpassing grade-level standards. They’re considered by the state to be on track for college, and their achievement is a clear indicator that they’re ready for more challenging work.

One of the simplest ways to support high-achievers is to give them the opportunity to take Algebra I in eighth grade rather than waiting for high school. Testing data indicate that high-ability students who take Algebra I in eighth grade almost universally perform well on the state’s end-of-course exam. Unfortunately, in Ohio, more than half of these students (55 percent) weren’t enrolled in algebra during eighth grade and thus didn’t take the end-of-course exam in 2024. Those who are most likely to be left out—even though they’ve met the same academic readiness benchmarks—are students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.

Senate Bill 19 levels the playing field by requiring districts to enroll any sixth grader who achieves advanced on their state math exam into a seventh-grade course that combines seventh and eighth grade math standards. If students earn at least proficient on their end-of-year test, they must then be enrolled in Algebra I in eighth grade. Students who score accomplished in sixth grade must also be enrolled in the combined course and placed in algebra, but only if they also have an average grade of A or B in a math course or earn a DEW-designated score on a math diagnostic. Parents will be permitted to opt out their children. The bill also requires districts to provide students in grades 3–5 who score advanced or accomplished[2] with advanced learning opportunities in math. Together, these provisions will ensure that opportunities are available to all high achievers, not just some.

3. Renewing the focus on math achievement.

During the 2024–25 school year, just 55 percent of Ohio students scored proficient or above on the state’s math exams. That means almost half of Ohio kids are moving from grade to grade without mastering the math content and skills they’ll need in adulthood. Senate Bill 19 aims to boost math achievement by focusing on curriculum, teachers, and district- and school-level accountability.

First, curriculum. The legislation charges DEW with reviewing core math curricula and establishing a list of high-quality core curriculum and instructional materials that are aligned with state standards and best practices. DEW must also establish a list of evidence-based math intervention programs. Unlike the state’s science of reading efforts, public schools will not be required to use curricula from the state’s list (more on the one exception below). But going forward, DEW will identify the reading and math curriculum that each building uses—and whether it’s been designated by DEW as high quality—on state report cards. 

Second, teachers. For prospective teachers, the bill requires the State Board of Education to assess whether they are proficient in math. Teacher candidates who apply for a license in the pre-K–8 grade band but fail to demonstrate proficiency on the math portion of the exam can still earn a teaching license, but schools will be prohibited from assigning them to teach math until they earn a proficient score. For current teachers, DEW will develop a professional development course that focuses on foundational knowledge in math, as well as a pilot series of professional development programs on evidence-based math instruction.

Third, district- and school-level accountability. Beginning with the 2026–27 school year, any district or school where 51 percent or fewer of students score proficient on the state’s third grade math test will be required to submit to DEW a math achievement improvement plan. (Public schools are already required to submit similar plans for reading.) These plans must contain an analysis of student performance data, measurable student performance goals, strategies to meet specific student needs, staffing and professional development plans, and instructional strategies for improving student performance. Schools with a plan must also use curriculum from the list established by DEW starting in the 2027–28 school year. Although implementation will matter immensely—merely having a plan isn’t enough to raise student achievement—requiring district and school leaders to create a plan is an important step.

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Lawmakers in both the House and Senate deserve kudos for getting SB 19 across the finish line. It was a long and winding road, but the finalized bill is promising. If implemented faithfully, the provisions it contains could significantly boost math achievement in Ohio.