Aligning Instruction to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) with Exact Path

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) emphasize the importance of both conceptual understanding (students’ comprehension of underlying ideas and relationships) and procedural fluency (students’ ability to accurately and efficiently carry out mathematical processes). Edmentum’s instructional materials were designed with this balance in mind, ensuring that students not only know how to perform skills but also why those skills matter and how they connect to broader mathematical concepts. 

Edmentum's Exact Path is designed to help students build a strong mathematical foundation by addressing both the why (conceptual understanding) and the how (procedural fluency). The TEKS emphasize the need for students to grasp underlying concepts while also developing the skills necessary to work through math problems accurately and efficiently. 

Conceptual Understanding 

• Exact Path introduces new math concepts through visual models, concrete representations, and real-world examples (e.g., number lines, fraction strips, and geometric representations).
• Students engage in checks for understanding and interstitial questions intend to guide the students to explore why procedures work, building deeper comprehension of patterns, relationships, and underlying principles. 

Procedural Fluency 

• Edmentum’s Exact Path lessons provide scaffolded practice with step-by-step strategies, ensuring students develop accuracy, speed, and flexibility in applying algorithms or formulas.
• Targeted exercises gradually remove scaffolds, helping students gain confidence and mastery of procedures—such as multi-digit multiplication, solving linear equations, or creating and interpreting data charts. 

In Exact Path, lessons often begin by providing visual representations and real-world situations that illuminate the core ideas behind a concept. By presenting, for example, fraction models or geometric relationships, the platform fosters that initial “aha!” moment where students see the reasoning behind each topic. As students progress, they transition into more traditional problem-solving tasks. These activities guide them in mastering the appropriate algorithms or formulas, reinforcing procedural skills that are fundamental to success in higher-level mathematics. 

Throughout this process, Exact Path weaves in the TEKS process skills in a practical way. Students are regularly encouraged to reason through questions, explain their thinking, and test their understanding in a variety of contexts.  

Let’s look at the Knowledge & Skill Statement 5.6 as an example. In 5.6, the student applies mathematical process standards to understand, recognize, and quantify volume. The student is expected to:

• 5.6A: Recognize a cube with side length of one unit as a unit cube having one cubic unit of volume and the volume of a three-dimensional figure as the number of unit cubes (n cubic units) needed to fill it with no gaps or overlaps if possible.  
• 5.6B: Determine the volume of a rectangular prism with whole number side lengths in problems related to the number of layers times the number of unit cubes in the area of the base. 

 In our Grade 5 mathematics module “Tanks a Lot” students work on finding the volume of a fish tank modeled as a rectangular prism. Our lesson embeds a structured problem‐solving process that aligns with TEKS process skills. First, students view a visual model of the tank, which helps them grasp the underlying concept (conceptual understanding). Next, the module guides them through a problem‐solving framework similar to Polya’s four-step method:

• Understanding the Problem: Students examine the model to determine what the problem is asking—identifying dimensions and noting key details.
• Devising a Plan: The module then outlines a strategy: using layers of cubes to cover the base of the tank, which serves as a concrete way to transition from visual to abstract reasoning.
• Carrying Out the Plan: As students input their calculations, the system provides immediate feedback. If their answers aren’t correct, scaffolded hints prompt them to revisit their plan or reexamine the model.
• Reviewing and Reflecting: Finally, students are encouraged to review their steps through a review phase that asks guiding questions about how they arrived at their answer, ensuring they’ve truly understood both the concept and the procedure. 

This interactive, scaffolded approach actively requires students to engage with the problem, apply a logical sequence of steps, and test their understanding through iterative practice and feedback. This model not only reinforces mathematical reasoning but also mirrors the TEKS emphasis on students demonstrating both conceptual insight and procedural fluency. 

In a downloadable resource document, lessons and practice items are linked explicitly to TEKS Student Expectations (SEs), so educators can see where conceptual exploration is happening and where procedural fluency is being developed.   

By explicitly intertwining conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in every aspect of lesson design—from initial exploration to final assessment—we ensure students grasp fundamental principles and develop strong, flexible skills that meet and exceed TEKS requirements. This approach nurtures mathematically proficient learners prepared to tackle increasingly complex concepts and real-world problems.