TEA Reports Early Gains for Bluebonnet Districts

Clip Art: Bluebonnet Learning — Image: TEA Website Screenshot

The TEA on Wednesday (Sept. 30, 2026) released first-year usage and outcomes data for Bluebonnet Learning, the state authored/owned instructional materials approved by the State Board of Education.

The TEA says the data shows that SY 2025-26 Bluebonnet Learning districts saw stronger average year-over-year achievement changes in reading and math over non-Bluebonnet Learning districts. See Table Below:

TEA Image Table: Bluebonnet Year-over-Year Achievement Change vvs. Non-Bluebonnet Distrcts

The TEA also reported:

619 districts adopted at least one of the three Bluebonnet Learning programs district-wide, and on average those districts saw a larger year-over-year gain in the share of students meeting grade level on reading or math STAAR than non-Bluebonnet districts.

72 districts using at least one Bluebonnet Learning program earned an “A” accountability rating, 26 of which had been rated lower the year before.

Lauded

The TEA lauded the materials for being: 1) cheaper than comparable options (for example, about $1,351 less per classroom over four years for Grade 2 math), 2) freely downloadable, 3) fully transparent to parents, and 4) frequently revised based on teacher feedback.

Note: The Houston Chronicle recently reported on: 1) Bluebonnet’s projected $1 billion costs to the state and 2) missed delivery deadlines of the materials to schools by a TEA contractor.

The TEA maintains a Bluebonnet Learning info page here.