Online Tutoring for the Texas Curriculum
One-to-one tutoring built around the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, from kindergarten through AP coursework. Texas writes its own standards rather than following Common Core, and every tutor is matched to the TEKS your child is actually taught and assessed on.
TEKS-Aligned
Texas standards in every lesson
Recommended by parents and students for Texas curriculum tutoring
Math Make Smart is rated 4.9 on Trustpilot. Read what families say about our certified tutors and one-to-one online lessons.
What Texas Actually Tests
Texas assessment is built on the TEKS and delivered through STAAR, including five high school end-of-course exams. Knowing which assessment applies at which stage is the starting point for any useful tutoring plan.
TEKS
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, K–12
STAAR 3–8
Reading & math, plus science and social studies
EOC Exams
Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, US History
Endorsements
Foundation High School Program pathways
STAAR performance is reported in four categories: Did Not Meet, Approaches, Meets and Masters Grade Level. The distinction that matters most is between Approaches and Meets, because Approaches indicates a student is likely to need ongoing academic support in the next grade, while Meets indicates they are prepared for it.
STAAR Is Being Replaced. Here's What That Means.
House Bill 8 was signed into law on 17 September 2025. It replaces the single end-of-year STAAR exam for grades 3–8 with three shorter tests taken at the beginning, middle and end of the school year, starting in the 2027–28 school year. Results are expected to return far faster than the current wait, and will be reported as percentile ranks showing how a student compares with their peers.
Two points matter for planning. First, through the 2026–27 school year, students continue taking STAAR each spring exactly as now, so nothing changes for a student currently in high school. Second, the high school end-of-course exams are largely unaffected and continue under the current structure, with one exception: English II remains required for the graduating classes of 2026 and 2027, but is not required from the class of 2028 onward.
HB 8 also bans districts from mandating benchmark and vendor practice tests, effective immediately. That is a genuine shift in what effective support looks like. When the answer can no longer be more practice tests, the thing that moves a student from Approaches to Meets is understanding the underlying material, which is precisely what one-to-one tutoring is for.
Subject Specialisms
Targeted support across every core subject, from elementary foundations through AP and dual credit coursework. Each subject links to a dedicated page with tutor profiles and topics covered.
Online Math Tutors
- Algebra I EOC preparation
- Geometry & Algebra II
- Precalculus & AP Calculus
Online English Tutors
- English I & English II EOC
- Reading Language Arts TEKS
- Extended constructed response
Online Science Tutors
- Grade 5 & 8 STAAR science
- Integrated Physics & Chemistry
- Aquatic & Earth Space Science
Online Physics Tutors
- Physics TEKS & lab reasoning
- AP Physics 1, 2 & C
- Math foundations for physics
Online Chemistry Tutors
- Chemistry TEKS
- Stoichiometry & equilibrium
- AP Chemistry
Online Biology Tutors
- Biology EOC preparation
- Genetics, ecology & evolution
- AP Biology
Where Students Need Help, Grade by Grade
Difficulties rarely appear where they are first noticed. These are the stages where Texas students most often lose ground, and what tends to be behind it.
Kindergarten–Grade 2
Number sense, place value and reading fluency. Nothing is formally tested yet, which is exactly why gaps at this stage go unnoticed until STAAR begins in grade 3.
Grades 3–5
The first STAAR years. Fractions are the usual sticking point in math, and grade 5 adds the first science assessment, which rewards reasoning rather than recall.
Grades 6–8
Ratios, proportional reasoning and the move into algebraic thinking. This is what determines whether Algebra I goes well, and Algebra I is the first EOC exam your child will sit.
Grades 9–12
Five EOC exams, endorsement coursework, and the Algebra II decision that determines Distinguished Level of Achievement. Course grades now carry forward to college applications.
Endorsements and the Distinguished Level
Texas students graduate under the Foundation High School Program, choosing at least one endorsement, a specialised pathway of related coursework. Endorsements shape which subjects a student takes for four years, so the choice made in grade 9 has a long reach.
The Distinguished Level of Achievement sits above the standard requirements and requires Algebra II. It matters more than most families realise, because it is a condition of eligibility for automatic admission to Texas public universities under the state's top-percentage rule. A student who struggles through Algebra II, or avoids it, closes that door quietly. This is the single place where math tutoring most often changes an outcome in Texas.
Explore Math TutoringThe Five Endorsement Areas
- STEM
- Business and Industry
- Public Services
- Arts and Humanities
- Multidisciplinary Studies
Graduation and admission requirements are set by the Texas Education Agency and individual universities, and are periodically updated. Always confirm current requirements with your school counselor.
Why Math Make Smart Works for Texas Students
TEKS, Not Common Core
Texas writes its own standards and never adopted Common Core. Tutors are assessed on the TEKS specifically, because a tutor trained on Common Core sequencing will teach topics in an order your child's classroom does not follow.
Understanding, Not Test Prep
With district-mandated practice tests now banned under HB 8, the way to move from Approaches to Meets is to close the underlying gap. We teach the concept, then the question type, in that order.
Progress You Can Read
Written summaries after every session and a bi-weekly report showing which TEKS have been mastered and which still need attention, in the language of your child's report card.
Texas Curriculum Questions, Answered
The questions Texas parents ask us most often about the TEKS, STAAR and graduation requirements.
Does my child have to pass the EOC exams to graduate?
Texas requires students to meet the standard on end-of-course assessments to graduate, and there are five: Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology and US History. Students who do not pass can retest. There is one upcoming change worth noting: English II remains a requirement for the graduating classes of 2026 and 2027, but from the class of 2028 onward it will no longer be required. Everything else continues under the current structure.
What is the difference between Approaches and Meets?
Approaches Grade Level means a student is likely to need continued academic support to succeed in the next grade. Meets Grade Level means they are prepared for it. Many families see Approaches and read it as a pass, which is understandable but misleading. If your child sits at Approaches two years running, the gap is usually widening rather than holding steady, and that is the point at which targeted help does the most good.
Why does Algebra II matter so much?
Algebra II is required for the Distinguished Level of Achievement, which is in turn a condition of eligibility for automatic admission to Texas public universities under the top-percentage rule. A student can graduate perfectly well without it, but they give up that route in the process. It is worth deciding deliberately rather than by default in grade 10.
Is Texas moving to Common Core?
No. Texas has never adopted the Common Core State Standards and state law restricts their use in Texas public schools. The TEKS are written by the State Board of Education and sequence topics differently. This is a practical matter, not a political one: national tutoring materials built around Common Core will not line up with what your child is taught in a given year, which is why we match tutors to the TEKS specifically.
Ready to build real confidence in the Texas curriculum?
Start with a free assessment. We'll find out where your child actually stands against the TEKS and match them with a tutor who knows the courses their school runs.