What is Middle School Advanced Mathematics?
In April 2025, the Texas State Board of Education approved TEKS for three middle school advanced mathematics courses.
- Grade 6 Advanced Mathematics (combination of 6th and 7th grade math TEKS)
- Grade 7 Advanced Mathematics (combination of 7th and 8th grade math TEKS)
- Grade 8 Advanced Mathematics (combination of 8th grade math and Algebra 1 TEKS)
When a student completes Grade 8 Advanced Mathematics, they will receive high school credit for Algebra 1, as the SBOE treats Grade 8 Advanced Mathematics as equivalent to Algebra 1. Thus, it also qualifies as the prerequisite for any high school mathematics course that requires Algebra 1 as a prerequisite.
According to the SBOE, schools who have a successful advanced mathematics program that culminates in 8th graders taking Algebra 1 may keep that program in place if they choose. The TEKS for Middle School Advanced Mathematics (MSAM) are voluntary.
What are the Cosenza & Associates, LLC, MS Advanced Mathematics Courses?
We developed these courses as a convenience for teachers of MS Advanced Mathematics. TEA provides a crosswalk from the existing Middle School Mathematics and Algebra 1 TEKS to the new MS Advanced Mathematics courses. We combined lessons from the original four courses (Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, and Algebra 1) into three courses (Grade 6 Advanced, Grade 7 Advanced, and Grade 8 Advanced) so that the TEKS for the new MSAM courses are fully addressed.
We plan to submit these courses for full IMRA review in an upcoming review cycle.
What Unit Support Is Provided for Middle School Mathematics?
We launch each unit with an overview page that shows the lessons in the unit with the TEKS and ELPS correlation for each lesson.
The Unit Introduction summarizes the big ideas that each unit addresses.
The Unit Overview shows the vertical flow of content from previous grades into the current grade and then future grades.
How Are Lessons Structured?
The Middle School Advanced Mathematics courses are structured just like the on-level Middle School Math courses, helping ensure the ease of use for teachers who teach both on-level and advanced students.
Each lesson has an overview page containing the following features.
The lesson structure for each lesson follows an inquiry model supported by direct instruction as appropriate.
- The Exploration phase of the lesson contains an investigation using hands-on materials, visual models, and technology as appropriate to the TEKS/SE addressed in the lesson. These materials come from our Focused Math™ and Mission Math™ resources.
- The Explanation phase of the lesson is a direct instruction piece where students acquire key vocabulary and connect concepts and skills, procedures, and processes. These materials come from our TEKS Companion Guide™ resource.
- The Performance Task phase of the lesson is a formative assessment opportunity for the students to demonstrate what they have learned about the mathematics. These materials come from our Performing Math™ resource.
- Units also include interactive Spiral Review activities as appropriate. In addition to skills practice, students engage in discourse, productive struggle, and other hands-on activities.
- Each lesson culminates in a Unit Test where students have the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the content from the unit. Question types include a variety of interactive constructed and selected response types that students may encounter on the STAAR® exam.
What Additional Teacher Supports Do You Provide for Effective Instruction?
Detailed Prior Learning Supports make direct connections between what students learned in previous grades and what they will be learning in this lesson. The support focuses on what students are learning in middle school mathematics but we know that some of the antecedent concepts and skills lie in elementary mathematics.
Vocabulary supports include partially completed Frayer models for key vocabulary terms students will encounter in the lesson. We provide a blank Frayer model template for teachers to use for additional vocabulary terms, including those from students’ unfinished prior learning.
View a Sample Lesson
STAAR® is a registered trademark of the Texas Education Agency. Our use of the term STAAR® does not imply endorsement by the Texas Education Agency.
