How Speak Agent Aligns with Virginia Legislation and Math Grants

This article describes the legislation driving education policy in the State of Virginia, details two state grant programs, and explains how Speak Agent aligns with each. If you are looking for evidence under ESSA for federal title grants, please visit this page.

Board Comprehensive Plan
Auto-Enrollment in Advanced Mathematics (HB2686)
Mathematics Innovation Grant
Mathematics Acceleration Grant

Board Comprehensive Plan

What Is the Plan?

The Board Comprehensive Plan (2024-2029) sets the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Education’s priorities and goals for all public school students in Virginia. In order to ensure that the objectives of public education in Virginia are being met, the Board developed seven priorities. The following two are best supported by Speak Agent’s Math + Language program:

• Priority 1: Help every learner meet high expectations. Virginia has strengthened accountability by raising cut scores to align with NAEP math proficiency standards. Full implementation of the higher cut scores begins in SY 2026-2027. This will require a comprehensive, evidence-based support system to ensure all students have the opportunity to meet these rigorous expectations.
• Priority 4: Create innovative pathways for every learner.
  Virginia aims to revise and revamp advanced learning options for all learners, opening new flexible and accelerated pathways and innovative classroom experiences.

How Speak Agent Aligns to the Plan

Speak Agent strongly aligns with Virginia’s strategic plan across the following two priorities:

Priority 1: Help every learner meet high expectations. The program has demonstrated statistically significant growth in math proficiency for learners at all levels. In a large-scale, independent study (N = 46,929) in 1,597 middle school math classrooms, students who used Speak Agent for the recommended dosage experienced a mean increase of 10.3 percentile points on the district quarterly math assessment.

Priority 4: Create innovative pathways for every learner. Speak Agent is an evidence-based Tier 1 program that removes the language barrier and provides technology-based learning supports for all learners, including multilingual, Title I, and “bubble” students, enabling them to demonstrate their true mathematical proficiency and accelerating learning. It also complies with AA-level WCAG accessibility.

Auto-Enrollment in Advanced Mathematics (HB2686)

What Is the Legislation?

Virginia’s 2025 legislation HB2686 “Certain advanced or accelerated mathematics opportunities; policies and criteria for enrollment” requires each school board to auto-enroll students in grades 5-8 who achieve SOL scores in the upper quartile in an advanced or accelerated math course. VDOE is requiring full implementation in the 2026-2027 academic year. According to VDOE, “Divisions may need to adjust curriculum in Grade 4 and 5 to prepare students for advanced coursework in middle school.”

How Speak Agent Aligns to HB2686

Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II are the most commonly offered approved courses that meet this requirement. Speak Agent aligns by providing supplemental SOL-aligned Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II courses that integrate academic language mastery with core Virginia math content.

• Speak Agent also offers SOL-aligned mathematics courses from 3rd grade through 8th grade, as well as an accelerated track at middle grades, that can help build a pipeline of students ready to succeed at advanced high school math courses.
• Furthermore, Speak Agent ensures equitable access for diverse and accelerated learners through research-based learning supports that promote student proficiency.

Mathematics Innovation Grant

What Is the Math Innovation Grant?

The 2025 General Assembly appropriated $10 million to provide grants to local school divisions for mathematics curriculum, high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), mastery learning models, and to improve instruction for high-need student groups. VDOE gives priority to schools that need intensive support and that had performance gaps in overall grade level mathematics or mathematics student group performance as identified in 2025 Standards of Learning (SOL) mathematics assessment results. 

How Speak Agent Aligns to the Innovation Grant

As an innovative supplemental math tool, Speak Agent has demonstrated effectiveness in improving mathematics achievement on standardized assessments. The Speak Agent platform represents research-driven innovation that closes achievement gaps for high-need learners and enhances the efficacy of high-quality instructional materials.

Mathematics Acceleration Grant

What Is the Math Acceleration Grant?

The 2025 General Assembly appropriated $1 million  to provide grants to expand access to online advanced math programming. This may include funding for students to enroll in virtual course options, for teachers to engage with professional learning, or  the development of high-quality middle school mathematics curriculum. Other innovative proposals will also be considered that allow for student enrollment in virtual coursework as a means for acceleration.

How Speak Agent Aligns to the Acceleration Grant

As an innovative supplemental math tool, Speak Agent has demonstrated effectiveness in advancing mathematics achievement.

• Virtual coursework as a means for acceleration. Speak Agent’s course catalog includes supplemental materials, focused on a deep understanding of mathematical language, for both Tier 1 instruction and accelerated education in grades 3-12, including middle school mathematics, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II.
• Microcredential support for teacher learning. Speak Agent’s broad professional learning opportunities for teachers include in-person PD across the State of Virginia, self-paced virtual PD, 1:1 remote coaching, online office hours, a searchable Knowledge Base, and strategy guides. Microcredentials are available in Academic Language Strategies, Differentiated Instruction, Student-Generated Math Problems, Visual Representation Strategies, and other content and language integration topics.