A Math Education Game Changer:
Assessing What Really Counts

Assessing what really counts
Date: February 11, 2026
Presenter: Jay Meadows and Jay McTighe
Time: 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Remote Webinar

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Featuring special guest Jay McTighe. 

What does high-quality student work look like in today’s math classroom? 

The recent versions of mathematics standards (e.g., NCTM, CCSS, TEKS) emphasize the development of mathematical reasoning, problem-solving strategies, and associated habits of mind (e.g., precision, perseverance) along with computational accuracy. In addition, many schools and districts have adopted a Portrait of a Graduate that identifies cross-disciplinary competencies that are valued in the modern world (e.g., creativity, ability to work effectively in teams, responsible citizenship, communication using various media). Such learning outcomes have significant implications for mathematics instruction as well as for assessment practices. 

In this edWebinar, Jay McTighe and Jay Meadows will explore what math teaching and assessment should look like in today’s schools for students to achieve these valued outcomes. Jay and Jay will make the case for the increased use of authentic math tasks—on both large-scale, end-of-the-year accountability tests and on classroom assessments—to measure what really matters and promote more engaging and relevant instruction. 

They will investigate the game-changing potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform mathematics assessment to enable educators to efficiently and effectively gauge all valued outcomes, not just those easiest and cheapest to test. They will describe TRISTAN, an AI tool capable of reading students’ handwritten responses to open-ended tasks that ask students to show their thinking, not simply select an answer from a given set of options. 

It is now possible to transform the way we teach and assess mathematics towards what really counts! 

This edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers as well as school, district, and state leaders.

About the Presenters

Portrait

Jay Meadows serves as Exemplars’ Chief Executive Officer. He is a former middle school math and science teacher and has been working in education for more than two decades. Jay holds a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Vermont and a master’s in mathematical pedagogy from Southern New Hampshire University.

Jay is also one of Exemplars’ primary performance task writers and professional development consultants for the middle level. Leading sessions throughout the United States, Jay works with teachers to integrate performance tasks and research-based best practices into their curricula. Through Exemplars, Jay dreams of teaching a generation of students to become powerful problem solvers. Prior to his career in education, Jay coordinated delegations from the former Soviet Union through U.S. State Department grants. Jay has also worked alongside a number of international non-profits and is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.

Portrait

Jay McTighe is a veteran educator and accomplished author, having co-written 18 books, including the award-winning and best-selling Understanding by Design® series with Grant Wiggins. His books have been translated into 14 languages. Jay has also written more than 50 book chapters, articles, and blogs, and has been published in leading journals, including Educational Leadership (ASCD), Edutopia, and Education Week. Jay has an extensive background in professional development and is a regular speaker at state, national, and international conferences. He has made presentations in 48 states within the United States, in seven Canadian provinces, and internationally in 41 countries on six continents. Jay received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, earned his master’s degree from the University of Maryland, and completed post-graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University.